The Urge to Embellish Exhibition opens February 6

The Urge to Embellish Exhibition opens February 6

Lace, beads, wood, metal and more

The Illinois State Museum will open a new exhibition, The Urge to Embellish, on February 6, 2011. The exhibition features an eclectic array of new acquisitions and rarely-seen works from the Illinois State Museum’s collections, many of which were made by non-professional artists. Over 100 objects reveal how embellishment has been guided by experimentation, learned behavior, social expectations, and traditions. Included are commemorative, ceremonial, decorative, functional, and whimsical objects spanning two centuries. Many date from the mid-to late-nineteenth century when effusive ornamentation reached its zenith and pervaded the visual aesthetics of material culture. The exhibition is comprised of 2- and 3- dimensional pieces constructed with beads, ceramics, feathers, fibers, hair, metal, paint, papier-mâché, porcupine quills, wood, and other materials.

The Illinois State Museum’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition Crazy Quilt is only one of the many objects on view now through October 2, 2011, at the Illinois State Museum – Springfield. This quilt, attributed to a miner named Leonard F. Mitchell, is a bevy of fabrics, adornments, symbols, and animals plus individuals and events associated with the fair, commemorating a major event in state, national, and world history. 

The exhibition was organized by Jim Zimmer, director of the Illinois State Museum’s Lockport Gallery. Representing home arts are embroidered samplers, an embroidered pillow slip, a rare 3-piece stenciled bedset, folk art sink screen, wreaths of hair, feathers, and wool plush, and a piano cover.  Clothing items include an Irish crochet dress, Native American beaded jacket, beaded purses, and a lace gown ensemble, complete with matching parasol cover.  Nineteenth-century examples of modern day utilitarian conveniences include an ale bowl, butter churn, foot warmer, and mangle board (this wooden board doubled as an iron and a proposal gift).  Balancing work with play, the exhibition includes a variety of whimsical folk objects such as whirligigs, a cigarette box, and a sculpture in a bottle, all, of course, embellished to suit. Some of the earliest objects in the exhibition are powderhorns carried during the French and Indian war and/or the Revolutionary war.  The latest item, a hooked rug from the mid 20^th century, is embellished with symbols that tell the tale of a summer trip.

Images are available on request.

Contacts:

• Karen Witter, Associate Museum Director, 217-782-7011, kwitter@museum.state.il.us
• Jim Zimmer, ISM Lockport Gallery Director, 815-838-7400, jzimmer@museum.state.il.us

The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois’ natural, cultural, and artistic heritage. The Museum’s extensive collections and research activities provide the foundation for exhibitions and public programs that tell the story of the land, life, people, and art of Illinois. The Illinois State Museum is located at 502 S. Spring Street (the corner of Spring and Edwards Streets) in Springfield, and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday.  Admission is free.  Parking is available nearby, and the building is ADA accessible.

General Information

Illinois State Museum
Founded 1877
The Illinois State Museum promotes discovery, learning, and an appreciation of Illinois' natural, cultural, and artistic heritage.
General Information: (217)782-7386
Director's Office: (217)782-7011
Interim Museum Director: Michael Wiant
Press Contact: michael.wiant@illinois.gov