in the CQA Quilting News, August 2009
July 14, 7:15 AM, by Jeanne Williamson
Hexagon Quilt, Sarah Clarke, c. 1845
Massachusetts Quilts: Our Common Wealth
is on exhibit at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, MA from July 17 through September 20, 2009. Gallery Talks are August 6-9, at 2pm.
“Since its establishment in 1994, the Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project (MassQuilts) has documented over 6,000 quilts originating or currently owned in this state. This summer, many historically significant or esthetically appealing quilts documented by MassQuilts will be on display at the New England Quilt Museum.” The exhibit highlights “not only quilts, but also historic photographs and memorabilia to tell many of the compelling stories of the state’s social history. The guest curator for the exhibit is noted quilt historian and lecturer Vivien Lee Sayre.”
“Among the quilts featured in the exhibit are:
- A Civil War quilt, made for a Northern soldier recovering from his captivity in the Andersonville prisoner of war camp.
- A c1910 silk quilt, made by Italian immigrant Josephine Rossi Anzalone of Cambridge, from silks given her by her sisters, both of whom worked in the dressmaking industry.
- A patchwork and appliqué quilt featuring scenes of farm life, made as a group by women in South Royalston in the 1880s, with stylized images of neighbors, favorite household items, and local sights.
- Also featured in the exhibit is a representational of author Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”, designed by Marion Cheever Whiteside Newton, early 1800 quilts, Depression Era quilts, and fund raiser and temperance quilts created by charitable groups across the state.
This groundbreaking exhibition will bring together quilts from all across Massachusetts, truly representing the fascinating history of this unique American art form, as seen through the lens of Massachusetts history. Also featured in the permanent collection rooms will be contemporary quilts by Massachusetts artists Rhoda Cohen, Barbara Lydecker Crane, Sandra Donabed, Sylvia Einstein, Beatriz Grayson, Suzanne Knapp, and Ruth McDowell.”
“The University Press of New England has published a book on the Documentation Project, Massachusetts Quilts: Our Common Wealth, edited by scholar Lynne Zacek Bassett, featuring over 300 pages of history, and lavishly illustrated by photos of three centuries of quilts, including many of those in the New England Quilt Museum exhibit. The reception will feature a book signing by several of the book’s authors. In addition, gallery talks will be held throughout the weekend of August 6-9, to coincide with the annual Lowell Quilt Festival.”
“About the Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project:
Since its establishment in 1994, The Massachusetts Quilt Documentation Project has documented nearly 6,000 pre-1950 quilts originating or currently owned in this state. Ninety-four historical societies and hundreds of private owners have been served. MassQuilts encourages the study and preservation of quilts and demonstrates that these textiles convey important insights about the lives of Massachusetts women from the colonial period to the present. MassQuilts holds documentation days at the New England Quilt Museum, 18 Shattuck St in downtown Lowell on the third Friday of each month by reservation only.”
More information about Massachusetts Quilts: Our Common Wealth at the New England Quilt Museum:web: nequiltmuseum.org
