Submitted by Liz M.
During this stay-at-home time, our quilt shows and exhibits have been cancelled or postponed. I have spent time online reading and exploring to find interesting sites and articles. I found the International Quilt Museum site and enjoyed the variety of information available. I have briefly highlighted a few areas below.
The International Quilt Museum (IQM) is located on the University of Lincoln campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. The IQM holds the largest collection of publicly owned quilts in the world. The mission is to collect and preserve textiles and quilts from all countries and cultures with a strong focus on education. IQM Website
EXHIBITIONS
The website contains every exhibition past and present with photos of the quilts and some short media clips describing the exhibit. Antique, vintage and modern quilts and quilters are included. One past exhibition I learned about was “Uncovered”. Red, white and blue quilts collected by Ken Burns were shown at the Museum in early 2018. You can see more about the exhibition here, or you can watch a YouTube video on this exhibit by clicking here.
COLLECTIONS
Every item in the collection is searchable. Interested in Log Cabin quilts? Or specific appliqué patterns? How about Basket patterns? Use the website’s Search button to click and explore!
AT-HOME LEARNING FOR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS
Click “About” in the Menu, then “Education”. Scroll down to find a list of downloads, activities and lessons. Do you have a child or grandchild that is staying home and may need some distraction? Do your neighbors need some activities for their children? Check out these options!
VIRTUAL OPTIONS
The Museum is using their FaceBook page to provide their Textile Talks virtually. The FB page also posts information on quilts and textiles frequently. (Just Search “The International Quilt Museum” from your Facebook account.)
Have you found online sites that you enjoy? Please share in the comments below!
Great information, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to a virtual “getaway”!
Who would think Lincoln Nebraska would be on a bucket list? It’s on mine. Now I can visit it electronically. Thanks for all the information, Liz.
I’ve been fortunate to have visited there twice. It is a fascinating collection (shown a few pieces at a time) and the building it’s housed in is also a work of art.