2011
Gift of the artist, 2011.052.0001

Ardis James (recently deceased), with her husband Robert, collected and donated the first 1000 quilts which provided the impetus for the establishment of the International Quilt Study Center in 1997. Their vision and continuing generous support, made possible the new museum building, which opened in 2008.

Many of the artists who donated quilts to honor the memory of Ardis James were in the early stages of their careers when the Jameses first noticed their work and bought pieces for their personal collection. Terrie Hancock Mangat is among a number of the artists who generously donated works as a tribute to Mrs. James stated that the couple’s early encouragement was pivotal in their careers.

Establishing a career in any field of art is challenging and can take years, if not lifetimes, of combining the creation of art with the daily realities of making a living. Studio quilters strove to identify themselves with the broader community of artists represented in galleries, museums, and private collections, rather than with traditional quilters who made quilts for use as bed coverings in the home. The Jameses were keen collectors of traditional antique American quilts, but as they became aware of the non-traditional quilts emerging from a cadre of talented studio quilters in the last quarter of the twentieth century, their collecting grew to include the works of many contemporary art quilters.

In this interview with Terrie Hancock Mangat conducted by Gayle Pritchard for the Alliance For American Quilts, Terrie shares background information leading to several of her pieces.