Beyond the Bed: The American Quilt Evolution
In the Beitzel and Righter Galleries
February 24 - June 16, 2013
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Beyond the Bed: The American Quilt Evolution traces the dynamic evolution of the North American quilt – in form, fashion, and function – from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. Guest curator Jean Burks has brought together some of the finest quilts from across the country intended as bed coverings, articles of clothing, furniture accessories, wall decoration, and three-dimensional sculptures. The exhibition examines their significance as cultural artifacts and showcases their visual diversity and artistic excellence.
The quilts on display illustrate a variety of techniques (whole cloth, pieced, appliquéd) and traditional designs (album, log cabin, crazy, pictorial) representing diverse cultural styles and geographic areas (New England, Amish, Gee’s Bend). Six of the quilts were included in the exhibition and book “The Twentieth Century’s Best 100 American Quilts.”
Funding for this exhibition is generously provided by The Coby Foundation; Ralph and Ricky Lauren Family Foundation; Karen B. and Arthur G. Cohen; Deborah Mullin and John Chatzky; Edwin Binney III Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee; ArtsWestchester, with support from Westchester County Government; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the Museum’s Exhibition Patrons.
Learn about quilts in our Lecture Series featuring Kaffe Fassett, Robert Shaw, and Stacy Hollander.
A fifty-page exhibition catalogue is available for purchase. Please call 914-232-9555 ext. 0 for more information.
Ann Jonas: The Quilt
In the Learning Center
February 24 - June 16, 2013
A beloved quilt is at the center of Ann Jonas’ story about a young girl’s memory and imagination. Her parents sewed a patchwork quilt using fabric squares from her baby pajamas, her crib sheet, and one from the shirt she wore on her second birthday. How can she possibly sleep when there is so much to look at, remember, and dream about . . . ? Meet Ann Jonas at the Family Quilt Day on May 5.
Image Credit
Ann Jonas, “That’s the shirt I wore on my second birthday,”
from The Quilt (Greenwillow Books, 1984)
Watercolor, 10 x 17 inches
Courtesy of the artist
Quilt Lab
In the Project Gallery
February 24, 2012 – June 16, 2013
Explore, experiment, and create your own quilt square in the KMA Quilt Lab. Visitors are invited to create “log cabin” squares to contribute to community quilts to be donated to local children’s charities. Learn about the AIDS Names Quilt and design a digital quilt on the computer. The Quilt Lab is open during Museum hours. Experienced quilters will assist with the community quilt project on weekends. No quilting experience is necessary. Fabric, supplies, and inspiration abound!
Andrea Lilenthal: Six Ladders
In the Sculpture Garden
Through April 2014
Andrea Lilienthal’s bamboo ladders span a realm between reality and fantasy. Their functional forms are immediately recognizable, yet their unexplained presence and playful patterns suggest something more. The ladders lean against the Museum’s enormous spruce trees in various positions and at different angles. Luscious colors wrap around the bamboo ladders like candy confections and their high-gloss surfaces contrast with the course-textured tree bark. No two ladders are painted the same, yet their similarly saturated hues coalesce into a lively visual harmony that beckons visitors into the Museum’s Sculpture Garden.
Andrea Lilienthal
Six Ladders, 2013
Bamboo and paint
Paul Chaleff
On the Front Lawn
Through April 2014
A pioneer in the resurgence of ceramic wood firing, Paul Chaleff is known for his colossal clay sculptures and vessels. Three large sculptural tiles positioned atop an outside wall complement Chaleff’s abstract sculpture set on the Museum’s front lawn. Stunning in scale, these ceramic pieces display a range of beautiful glazes.
Paul Chaleff
Duolith
Glazed monumental ceramic sculpture (four pieces)
120 x 60 x 72 inches
Paul Chaleff
Three glazed ceramic tablets on steel mounting brackets
