Red and White Paradise

Back in March of 2011, the American Folk Art Museum presented “Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts”.  The show was held for 6 days at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.  On the occasion of her 80th birthday, Joanna S. Rose wanted to showcase her collection of 650 red and white quilts and also wanted the exhibit to be free to the public.  Can you imagine such an exhibition?

A video was posted by the American Folk Art Museum, and it features Elizabeth V. Warren, who was the curator of the show.  In a short 9-minute video, she talks about the show while featuring a few quilts that were special to her.  From her, you get a sense of what it must have been like to walk into that armory filled with red and white quilts.

As we get close to the climax of the holiday season, some of you are probably ready for a well-deserved break from your holiday duties.  So as a gift to yourself, grab a glass or mug of your favorite sipping beverage and settle in to watch this informative video. Click on this link and be transported back 7-plus years to a pavilion of red and white quilts.

If you have some extra time, there are many YouTube videos of the show.  I found the following to be the some of the best.  John Kubiniec of Big Rig Quilting presented his experience in three parts.  Here are links to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.  Each video is under 14 minutes long, and gives you overall views as well as up close and personal shots of some of the quilting.

In 2015, the museum published the catalog of all the quilts in a beautiful hard cover book.  You can learn more about the book here.

Were you one of the lucky ones that got to attend the show?  We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!