“American Quilts: History and Art,” curated by Cazenovia quilt collector Jonathan Holstein is on view at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn until Jan. 8, 2017. Holstein is well-known in the quilt community for championing quilting making as an art form.
Holstein and his wife Gail van der Hoof are famous for curating the seminal exhibition, “Abstract Design in American Quilts,” with quilts from their collection at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York in, 1971. This exhibition was widely credited for introducing quilts to the fine art world.
The collection they formed ultimately went to the International Quilt Study Center and Museum (IQSC) in Lincoln, Neb. Their exhibitions here and abroad, along with their writing and lecturing, furthered both the appreciation of American quilts as significant designed objects and encouraged the now-international art quilt movement, according to a press release from the Schweinfurth Art Center.
In the “American Quilts: History and Art” exhibit at the Schweinfurth, Holstein selected quilts from the International Quilt Study Center, as well as his personal collection, to expose and educate the audience on common quilt motifs, different construction strategies and the various ways that individuals left their personal mark on familiar patterns. The quilts are organized into six different categories such as Amish, pieced figurative, pieced abstract, applique, log cabin and African American.
Holstein gave a lecture on Nov. 13 describing the historical value of each quilt that he choose for the exhibition. The lecture took the audience through centuries of quilt research by looking at antique tin-types, paintings and photographs depicting quilt making, including Holstein’s personal photographs of quilts from his research in Italy.
“American Quilts: History and Art” is on display in the Schweinfurth’s new second floor Davis Family Gallery, and in the annual Quilts=Art=Quilts exhibition. Admission to trunk shows, tours and lectures is included with admission to the exhibits. Admission for both exhibitions is $10 for adults. Free entry for exhibiting artists, Art Center members and children aged 12 and under.
The exhibits and related events will be free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2.
For more information, call 255-1553 or visit myartcenter.org. The Schweinfurth is located at 205 Genesee St., Auburn.
