Past Exhibits

As an exhibit-only quilt museum, we rotate our exhibits four times a year. Here are some of our past exhibits starting in 2021.

KAFFE FASSETT: 85 AND FABULOUS

September 12 – December 10, 2023

Kaffe Fassett is the undisputed genius of color. From his partnership with Bill Gibb in which multi-colored, complex knitwear designs became his trademark, to becoming the first living textile artist to have a one-man show at the Victoria & Albert Museum, Kaffe has reigned supreme in textiles, patchwork, needle arts and more for over 50 years. As he recently reached a life milestone, Kaffe has curated the most iconic and meaningful quilts reflective of his journey. This gathering of inspiration reminds us of his influence which has encouraged quilters worldwide to embrace the brilliance of glorious colors and the beauty of bold designs in their craft and into their everyday lives.

House quilts, often referred to as “House Blocks” or “House Quilts,” have a rich history in America dating back to the 19th century. These quilts are characterized by the prominent depiction of houses as the central motif within their design. In this exhibit we showcased 25 quilts ranging in age from 1850 to 2023, displaying the wide array of house quilt designs.

House quilts have evolved over the centuries, but their fundamental message remains the same: they symbolize the importance of home, family, and community in American society. They serve as a testament to the enduring tradition of quilting as a form of artistic and cultural expression.

Visit our Facebook page for a replay of Facebook Lives giving more information on a handful of quilts from the exhibit.

Timestamps by Ricky Tims

March 14 – June 18, 2023

In 1991, Ricky Tims was a career music composer, producer, performer, arranger, and conductor living in St. Louis. That summer, he was given his Granny’s 1955 Sears Kenmore sewing machine and decided to make a western shirt to wear two-stepping. After looking at the men’s shirt patterns in Cloth World, and realizing the complexity of attaching sleeves, collars, and cuffs, he
abandoned the idea—thinking it would be much too difficult for someone who had never sewn before.

Here is where Ricky’s quilting career began because he figured a quilt is FLAT— no collars or cuffs! Of course, he quickly learned one of the most challenging aspects of making a quilt is getting it flat. Now Ricky is known for his stunning designs, fabric, and entertaining educational experiences.

In the Timestamp exhibit, we learned more about Ricky’s journey, and viewed quilts made over the course of his quilting career—even his first quilt! One thing we quickly discover is Ricky has a great eye for color and is a phenomenal storyteller.

These ARE Your Grandmother’s Quilts

In loving memory of Velma Van Scoy and sponsored by the Robert Van Scoy Family.

December 20, 2022 – March 12, 2023

Grandmothers’ quilts are a lifetime of hugs wrapped in thread and fabric. Help us celebrate Iowa Grandmothers during our Winter exhibit – “These ARE Your Grandmother’s Quilts”. You’ll get to read 27 different stories of today’s and yesterday’s grandmothers, You’ll see a variety of quilts, from a few modern to lots of vintage and traditional, and see many photos of the creative women who stitched them. Most importantly, you’ll feel the love the grandmothers have passed along to their families and the quilting legacy they’ve inspired and influenced.

Many of our quilts are from counties around us including Madison, Adair, and Union.

Watch our Live Videos sharing stories of these quilts from when the exhibit was hanging in our gallery.

Yours Truly – Marti Michell

We featured 30 of quilting legend Marti Michell’s quilts from June 28 to September 25, 2022. Marti grew up in Mitchellville, Iowa where she was an active 4-H’er. She graduated from Iowa State and started her Yours Truly business in 1972. Over the years she has created quilt kits, fabric lines, patterns, an array of quilting templates, and published quilting books.

Our exhibit features quilts from every decade and highlights Marti’s extensive knowledge of business and the quilting industry.

Midwest Modern

Midwest Modern is a collection of modern quilts from the last decade that were made by quilters who primarily live and work in the Midwest. The quilts in this exhibit are a small sample of the ways midwestern modern quilters have explored both the past and future of quilt design using the highest and lowest of technologies. They were created with inspiration from the world around them both rural and urban and from the histories and traditions of art, architecture, design, and quilting while being strongly influenced by the internet age and social media. These quilts, like modern quilting itself, were created on the boundaries of the quilting traditions that were most prominent in the last century and they pushed forward into the new century toward the future of quilt design and quilt making.

Featured Quilt Artists

All of the artists in our Midwest Modern exhibit are from the Midwest and made these quilts in the past decade. Learn more about some of our artists by clicking the “Introduction” links next to their names.

Here Comes the Sun

November 16, 2021 – January 23, 2022 – Guest Curated by Joe Cunningham

Each winter, the days grow shorter, darkness envelopes more hours of the day, and the color drains away from our natural landscape. Just as the ancients celebrated the winter solstice with rituals designed to encourage the sun’s return, this exhibit honored the sun with a study of the color orange in both historic and contemporary quilts.

Artists in the exhibit included: