Now Open!

Today's the day! "Off the Grid" is now open in the Center Gallery of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The select group of quilts includes mostly abstract, geometric patchwork representing my early impressions of the quilts of the 1970s.

My first impression was "COLOR!!!" Everything about the color seemed strangely familiar, but dramatically different in the context of American quilt history.

"COLOR!!!"

It was a much-referred-to but almost completely unstudied period -- the great quiltmaking revival of the 1970s. Where were the quilts? Many of them were fresh to the market in 2010 and later.

The quilts were priced to sell, and the period wasn't picked to death. Just the opposite. Hardly anyone else was collecting 1970s quilts. I had an absolute field day.

Even though I lived through the 1970s, I saw the world through the eyes of a boy. We did not have handmade quilts in our family, so discovering the quilts of the 1970s was like rediscovering my childhood through the objects I'd never seen before.

It was a revelation, but it was also like visiting with long-lost friends, and it led me on a long and worthwhile journey. Thank you to the staff and volunteers at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum for sharing my interest in these quilts and hosting this exhibition. I look forward to visiting and seeing the installation in person.
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