Press Room --

A Peek at Amish Culture with Quilts

LOCKPORT—The free “Sunday Series” of lectures and events continues at the Illinois State Museum Lockport Gallery.  On Sunday, July 24, 2011, ISM Lockport Gallery Director Jim L. Zimmer will present “Piece Talks: Illinois Amish Quilts and Their Cultural Revelations.”  The lecture begins at 2:00 pm and will last approximately one hour.  Admission is free; reservations are not required, though seating is limited.  This free program is offered in conjunction with the current exhibition entitled Amish and “English”: Quilts from the Illinois State Museum Collection which features full-sized quilts dating from 1870 thru 1950 by thirteen different makers and runs through September 16, 2011.

Zimmer maintains that quilts reveal stories: stories about specific moments in history, stories about popular patterns and colors, and—perhaps most importantly—stories about their makers.  Illinois Amish quilts are no exception.  In his presentation, Zimmer will explore the “anatomy” of Illinois Amish quilts and how their attributes both reflect and challenge Amish cultural values.  Fabric choices, construction methods, and composition are all elements that help identify these quilts as Amish but which sometimes expose surprising insights that contradict popular conceptions of the Amish lifestyle.  Zimmer will illustrate his points using samples from the extensive Illinois State Museum Amish quilt collection, including those currently on display as well as other examples.

Because in many aspects of their lives the Amish have sought separation from the “English” world—all people outside the Amish community—it is tempting to assume that their quilts were also made in isolation from larger American trends.  This comparative exhibition of Amish and “English” quilts dispels this notion.  In fact, in Illinois both Amish and “English” quilters often used the same fabrics, techniques, colors, formats, and patterns with only a few exceptions.  This richly textured exhibition offering side-by-side comparison of quilts and quiltmakers provides insight into the qualities that make Amish quilting similar and different from “English,” or non-Amish.   

The Illinois State Museum fine and decorative arts collections are housed in Springfield and number in the thousands.  The collection includes over 400 quilts, reflecting not only the trends in quiltmaking over 175 years but the artistry and craftsmanship of Illinois quiltmakers. Over 90 percent of the quilts in the Museum’s collection were created by Illinois quiltmakers, including 164 quilts by Illinois Amish, a community in east central Illinois, near Arthur.