New York quilt collector John (Jack) M. Walsh III and art curator Penny McMorris together have established a singularly important collection of studio art quilts. Seeking innovative and extraordinary vision, they acquired pieces by leading art quilters of the Studio Movement, including quilts featured in the Top 100 Quilts of the Twentieth Century and by honorees of the Master of the Medium award from the James Renwick Alliance for Craft. Walsh also collects work by emerging artists.

Paula Nadelstern is known for her use of intricate symmetrical prints in kaleidoscope-themed quilts, employing a distinctive approach that obscures, rather than defines, the seams. Able to find patterns in anything, everywhere she goes, some of Paula’s greatest inspiration comes from her travels and places that are special to her, such as the ceiling of the Spanish Synagogue in Prague in the Czech Republic or the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, USA. In her art, Paula filters every image of inspiration through a kaleidoscopic lens.

“When one faction of American society is excluded from the master narrative

of our collective histories, the whole society loses.”

Quilts by Black quiltmakers always existed within the greater canon of American quiltmaking as it developed in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Quilts, especially those with a narrative element, have been a particularly vital tool that Black makers use to illustrate Black History. 

In Winter of Loss, quilt artist and poet Joan Schulze portrays the heartbreaking experience of losing her husband, Jim, to dementia. In brief moments available while caring for him, she found solace in creating unique quilts and collages and expressed her complicated feelings through evocative poetry. 

MJ Kinman likes to tell people that she makes the biggest gemstones in the world, but instead of using the hardest substances on earth, she fashions her gems from the softest – cloth. The adventure started 30 years ago when an image of a gorgeous gem captured her imagination. As a new quiltmaker, she was unsure of how to transform that image into a quilt, but she knew there had to be a way. She began searching for the right techniques and, after seven years of research and experimentation, made her first gem.

Salley Mavor: Bedtime Stitches consists of the original artwork for Mavor’s latest book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World. The series of sculptural embroideries celebrate cultural differences and highlight the universal theme of children sleeping safe in their beds. For My Bed, author Rebecca Bond created the book’s poem and Salley Mavor illustrated accompanying scenes which bring children and their varying surroundings to life.

Anne Burton was driving when she received the call with test results. 

She already knew that her two-year-old son, August, had a tumor in a lymph node, which was wrapped around his facial nerve. Yet, after three months of scans and consultations, the cause was elusive. The latest results were in: the tumor was growing quickly and had to be removed. August’s surgery was in 10 days. The nurse told Burton she could bring a quilt to comfort her son in the hospital.

“Quilts look better when you have a lot of them.”

Joanna S. Rose

New Yorker Joanna S. Rose (1930-2021) began buying quilts in the 1950s. She enjoyed searching for bargains at flea markets and antique stores. Mrs. Rose did not consider herself a collector. Rather, she described herself as a “treasure hunter,” saying, “A collector always wants to better a collection. I buy only what I like and for no other reason.”  Joanna Rose particularly liked red and white quilts!

In 2022, the International Quilt Museum celebrates 25 years. The 1997 donation of the 1000-piece Ardis and Robert James Collection to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the IQM. For the past quarter century, the James Collection has formed the museum’s core, its heart.

In 2022, the International Quilt Museum celebrates 25 years. The 1997 donation of the 1000-piece Ardis and Robert James Collection to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln established the IQM. For the past quarter century, the James Collection has formed the museum’s core, its heart.