Amish quilt exhibit opens in September at Art Museum

The South Dakota Art Museum will display a colorful quilting exhibit titled, “The Collector’s Eye: Amish Quilts from the International Quilt Study Center” beginning Sept. 5, 2009 showing in two parts through April 18, 2010.  

A curator discussion Friday, Sept. 4 at 10 a.m. features Janneken Smucker, a Ph.D. student from the University of Delaware studying Amish quilts, and John Rychtarik, curator of exhibitions at the South Dakota Art Museum.

Smucker is an associate fellow of the International Quilt Study Center & Museum in Lincoln, Neb. She earned an master’s in textile history from the University of Nebraska and is currently working on her dissertation, titled, “From Rags to Riches: Amish Quilts and the Crafting of Value.”

A public reception for the exhibit will be held Friday, Sept. 11 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. A presentation takes place at 5:30 p.m. with Harriet Swedlund talking about the significance of Amish quilts as art. Swedlund spent 13 years teaching in the SDSU Department of Apparel Merchandising and Interior Design.

Due to the large number of quilts to be shown, the exhibit will be broken into two parts with a gallery change scheduled Dec. 7.

The collection of 30 quilts is on loan from the International Quilt Study Center, on the campus of the University of Nebraska. “The Collector’s Eye” exhibition includes quilts from three distinct Amish regions —Lancaster and Mifflin Counties in Pennsylvania and various Amish communities throughout Ohio and surrounding Midwest states.

Each region’s quilts is easily recognized by their colors, patterns and aesthetics.

Classic Lancaster County, Pa., quilts are composed largely of fine wools. Their unique designs are simple, with flat planes of deep, rich colors.

Quilts of Mifflin County, Pa., use cottons, rayons or wool and are composed with more intricate designs, featuring pink, yellow or green accents.

Many Ohio Amish quiltmakers use black as a background, a unique choice among American quiltmakers.  Brilliant pink, yellow and lavender colors provide a vivid contrast against the black background.  

“This exhibit provides a wonderful opportunity to examine these functional pieces as works of art with glorious color combinations and interesting geometric patterns,” said Swedlund, current executive director of the South Dakota Council on World Affairs and former SDSU textiles assistant professor.

Valet parking and coat check will be provided courtesy of Delta Chi Fraternity for the evening reception Sept. 11. The exhibition, discussion and reception are free and open to the public.

Various fiber-related workshops and classes are scheduled to take place in the fall and winter in conjunction with the Brookings Area Quilt Guild. For more information, visit www.southdakotaartmuseum.com or call toll free (866) 805-7590.

The South Dakota Art Museum is located at the junction of Harvey Dunn Street and Medary Avenue. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.



Photo: A four-patch variation quilt 
demonstrates one of the styles associated with Amish quilts of Mifflin County, Pa., and is one of 30 quilts to be displayed at the South Dakota Art Museum.