My friend Mary in Memphis emailed me tonight about an upcoming Memphis Brooks Museum of Art exhibit on Southern Quilts. The curators pulled together 30 Southern quilts from the Brooks' permanent collection, from museums around Tennessee and the surrounding states, and from individual collections.
There will be scrap quilts, wholecloth quilts, applique quilts and other examples of the art form. As you can see below, there is even an event that elaborates on how batting was made from cotton and how cotton is graded today (staple or length of fiber) for cotton batting today.
Mary, I WILL get to Memphis to see this exhibit, hopefully with you, if I have to crawl on my hands and knees to get there! Memphis is only a two hour drive from the farm.
Here is the link Mary sent from which I extracted photos and a few highlights below. Check the Brooks website for all of the events surrounding this exciting exhibit:
February 20 - 22
Opening Weekend Celebration
Pieced and Patterned Southern Quilts, 1840 - 1940
Saturday, February 21 | 10 am – 4 pm
All about Quilts and Southern Culture!
Free for members!
$7 adults, $6 seniors (+65), $3 students & ages 7-17, free for children 6 & under
10 am - 4 pm
- Quilting by Memphis and Shelby County Quilt Guilds
- Fiber demonstration by The Cotton Museum
- Quilting and conversations with Uncommon Threads Quilt Guild
The Cotton Museum will give a presentation on the the grade of cotton used in quilt batting, with a demonstration of the fibers used and the collection of those fibers. Demonstration will also address the process used by individuals that produce their own batting from the raw plant using the carding technique. Examples of raw cotton will accompany the presentation.
2 pm
Pieced and Patterned Southern Quilts, 1840 - 1940 Guided tour
Each tour is limited to 30 people. Tour length is approximately 40 minutes.
Reservations are required; please call 901.544.6242.
Tuesday, February 24 | 1:30 - 3:30 pm
Tea and Tour for Seniors: Pieced and Patterned
Sponsored by the Brooks Museum League
$3 per person
Join the docents for a tour of this special exhibition featuring over 30 Southern quilts. Afterward enjoy tea and treats in the Brushmark. Call 901.544.6244 for reservations.
Thursday, February 26 | 6 pm
Dinner and Guided Tour
From a Quilter’s Perspective: Pieced and Patterned
Tour is free for members! Tour is $7 adults; $6 seniors; $3 students w/ID & children 7-17
Join Brooks’ Assistant Curator of Education Tomi Durgin, a quilter who holds an MFA
in Fiber Arts, for a tour focusing on the processes and materials of quilt making.
Reservations are required; please call 901.544.6242.
The Brushmark Restaurant will be open for dinner. Reservations are recommended, please call 901.544.6225 or click here to make your reservation online.
Saturday, February 28 | 10 am – 1 pm
Piecing It Together Family Day
Free admission and activities!
Families will enjoy a wide variety of activities in celebration of southern quilt making.
Children can create their own quilt-inspired art projects, watch a quilter at work, enjoy
a musical performance, and explore these colorful textiles with an our interactive kids
quilt quest guide.
Saturday, March 14 | 11 am - 1 pm
Creation Station: Crazy for Quilts
Drop-in family art activity for all ages
Free for members and for all children 6 and under!
$7 adults; $6 seniors; $3 students w/ID & children 7-17
Join teaching artist Amy Hutcheson for a fun-filled activity exploring the art of quilt-making. Don’t forget to visit Pieced and Patterned with our family guide.
Thursday, March 19 | 6 pm
TALK: A Historical Approach: Southern Quilts
Free for members!
$7 adults; $6 seniors; $3 students w/ID & children 7-17
Dr. Bob Brown, Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of the History Department at University of Memphis, will discuss the historical context in which many of these southern quilts were created. Reservations are required; please call 901.544.6242.
Friday, March 20 | 12 pm
Art for Lunch: Southern Quilts
$10 Members, $12 Non-members (Price includes lunch). Seating is limited.
Take a break and visit the Brooks for a unique lunchtime experience! After a delicious
lunch in the Brushmark, enjoy a guided tour of Pieced and Patterned. A Brooks
docent will engage you with these fabulous textiles and the stories behind them. Call 901.544.6225 for reservations.
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PS: I was so excited when Mary sent this to me that I scrapped what I had planned to blog tonight in lieu of this post! Thanks so much, Mary, for the "heads up"!
Oh, this sounds so good! Hope you were able to participate?!
Posted by: Mary Ann | February 23, 2009 at 04:16 AM