University of Michigan Museum of Art
Ann Arbor, MI
734-764-0395
http://www.umich.edu/~umma/
Amish Quilts 1880 to 1940 from the Collection
of Faith and Stephen Brown
July 8 - September 10, 2000
A new exhibition at the University
of Michigan Museum of Art brings into sharp focus the bold, rich colors
and striking shapes of historic Amish quilts. The quilts in the exhibition,
organized by the Museum of Art, are drawn from the extensive collection
of Faith and Stephen Brown, U-M alumni, who have spent about twenty-five
years collecting and studying Amish quilts. As the Browns have chosen to
focus their collection on the aesthetic complexity inherent in Amish quilts,
rather than on solely cultural or historical considerations; the quilts
on view this summer reveal particularly strong graphic qualities and intense
color combinations. But they are also from many different regions--Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Illinois, Kansas, and Indiana--and give the viewer an opportunity
to revel in the vibrant diversity of Amish quilting styles, and also to
trace the development of this rich artform from region to region.
Amish
women began making quilts around 1850, much later than their non-Amish neighbors.
In keeping with Amish principles, they worked with simple designs embellished
only with ornate quilting. At first, the colors they used were deep blues
and reds, often combined with rust, olive, gold and other earth tones. After
1900, the colors became more jewel-like. The years 1880 to 1940 are widely
regarded as the "classic" period of Amish quiltmaking. During
this time, Amish quiltmakers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other settlement
areas created a unique body of work that reflected the spiritual values
of their fundamentalist communities, while at the same time displaying distinctive
approaches to abstract design and color usage. With patterns descriptively
-- and poetically -- named Broken Star, Birds in the Air, Broken Dishes,
and Crosses and Losses, these quilts are evidence of a deep creativity wedded
with practicality and religious devotion. They are also powerful icons of
the Amish community and its worldview, which is steeped in concepts of simplicity,
humility, and separateness. (left: Maker unknown, Amish, probably
Holmes County, Broken Dishes (crib quilt), c. 1930, cotton and cotton
sateens, 37 x 32 1/2 inches, Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown)
Guest curators Robert Shaw of Quilts Inc., and Julie Silber
of Quilt Complex--two of America' s leading Amish quilt specialists--have
collaborated with the Museum of Art's Curator of Western Art Annette Dixon,
to organize the exhibition. Accompanying the exhibition is an extensive,
full-color catalogue, featuring an introduction by Robert Shaw; an essay
by master quilter and author Joe Cunningham on the visual aspects of the
quilts; and an essay by Amish quilt scholar Eve Granick on their cultural
context. Following its showing in Ann Arbor, the exhibition travels to the
Smithsonian American Art Museum' s Renwick Gallery.
Read more about the University
of Michigan Museum of Art in Resource
Library Magazine
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This page was originally published in Resource
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more information. rev. 3/18/11
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Amish
women began making quilts around 1850, much later than their non-Amish neighbors.
In keeping with Amish principles, they worked with simple designs embellished
only with ornate quilting. At first, the colors they used were deep blues
and reds, often combined with rust, olive, gold and other earth tones. After
1900, the colors became more jewel-like. The years 1880 to 1940 are widely
regarded as the "classic" period of Amish quiltmaking. During
this time, Amish quiltmakers in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other settlement
areas created a unique body of work that reflected the spiritual values
of their fundamentalist communities, while at the same time displaying distinctive
approaches to abstract design and color usage. With patterns descriptively
-- and poetically -- named Broken Star, Birds in the Air, Broken Dishes,
and Crosses and Losses, these quilts are evidence of a deep creativity wedded
with practicality and religious devotion. They are also powerful icons of
the Amish community and its worldview, which is steeped in concepts of simplicity,
humility, and separateness. (left: Maker unknown, Amish, probably
Holmes County, Broken Dishes (crib quilt), c. 1930, cotton and cotton
sateens, 37 x 32 1/2 inches, Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown)