First Glance – Second Look: Quilts at the Denver Art Museum

March 11, 2015

First Glance – Second Look: Quilts at the Denver Art Museum

14 images

The examples of the quilter’s art in ‘First Glance – Second Look’ (ends 19 April 2015), include masterpieces from the collection as well as recent acquisitions, among them several quilts donated by Central Asian textile collector Guido Goldman.

Artist Unknown, Pine Tree Medallion with Borders Quilt; United States, late 1890s–early 1900s; machine pieced cotton; hand quilted. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.404.

Artist Unknown, Barn Raising Quilt: Log Cabin Variation, Indiana Amish, 1920s–30s; machine pieced cotton; hand quilted. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.401.

Sunshine and Shadow Quilt; Pennsylvania Amish; United States, 1920s–30s; hand pieced wool, cotton, and synthetics; hand quilted. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.396.

Charlotte Jane Whitehill, American, 1866–1964; Indiana Wreath; United States, 1930; hand appliquéd, stuffed, and embroidered cotton; hand quilted. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Charlotte Jane Whitehill, 1955.56.

Competition Quilt; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about 1895; hand pieced cotton, silk and linen; hand quilted; machine stitched backing. Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.406.

Anna Eliza Pratt Perrine, American, 1823-1895; Album Quilt; Delaware River Valley (Pennsylvania/New Jersey), 1842-3; hand appliquéd cotton (broderie perse), silk embroidery, ink drawing and inscriptions; hand quilted; cotton fringe. Neusteter Textile Collection: Funds from Nancy Lake Benson and Bruce Benson and the Anonymous Acquisition Challenge Grant, 1985.300.

Myrtle May Fortner, American, 1880-1966; The Matterhorn Quilt, United States, 1934; hand pieced and appliquéd cotton; hand quilted; machine stitched backing. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Melvin Dorsett, 1967.89.

Artist Unknown, Starburst Quilt; United States, 1870s; hand and machine pieced cotton; hand quilted. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Mrs. Douglas Taylor, 1979.93.

Medallion Bedcover, England, early 1800s; hand pieced and appliquéd cotton, silk embroidery; hand-quilted. Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Amy Stearns Goodell, 1991.801.

Crazy Quilt with Fan Border; United States, initialed “ECB” and dated 1884 on reverse; hand pieced silk with silk embroidery; hand quilted silk backing. Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.398.

Competition Quilt, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about 1892, hand pieced cotton, silk and linen, hand quilted, machine stitched backing. Neusteter Collection, gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.406

Artist Unknown, Houses and Pine Trees Quilt; United States, late 1800s; hand pieced cotton; hand quilted; machine stitched binding. Denver Art Museum, Neusteter Textile Collection: Gift of Guido Goldman, 2008.408.

Seminole or Miccosukee, Creek Confederacy, Man’s Big Shirt; acquired on the Cow Creek Reservation, Florida, 1940; machine pieced and appliquéd cotton. Denver Art Museum, Native Arts acquisition funds, 1940.223.

Entrance to First Glance-Second Look, Denver Art Museum

Dale Carolyn Gluckman writes: Following the resounding success of ‘Cover Story’, the exhibition marking the opening of the Denver Art Museum’s spacious new Textile Art Gallery in 2013, curator Alice Zrebiec has again highlighted the DAM’s permanent collection. The examples of the quilter’s art in ‘First Glance – Second Look’ include well-known masterpieces from the collection as well as recent acquisitions never before on view, among them several quilts donated by Central Asian textile collector Guido Goldman.

View of the exhibition, First Glance-Second Look, in the Textile Art gallery, Denver Art Museum

Zrebiec’s imaginative presentation, detailed descriptions and analysis invite the viewer to look again and discover new appreciation for the technical ingenuity and optical effects of these domestic creations. The exhibition, until 19 April 2015, is accompanied by a 100-page, self-titled catalogue that includes a brief history of DAM’s quilt collection, an explanation of quilt-related terms, and illustrations of all the pieces in the exhibition plus additional DAM quilt treasures. It is available online through the museum shop.