Patchwork History

The Bryan Museum, proudly presents Patchwork History: Texas-Themed Quilts from the Winedale Quilt Collection on loan from the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas, Austin. The exhibit will run June 13, 2019—September 1, 2019.

“Texas quiltmakers regularly honor the state by creating Texas-themed commemorative, patriotic and family quilts,” said Kate Adams, quilt curator at the Briscoe Center. “Patchwork History showcases examples of these, many of which have only been displayed rarely.

Texas-themed quilts include those that incorporate recognizable Texas symbols such as the five-pointed lone star, the state seal, the Alamo, or bluebonnets. Others are often more personal, featuring a specific location or person such as a family home or a much-loved ancestor.

“Of special interest in this exhibit are two quilts made by award-winning quiltmaker Shirley Stevenson of Sherman, Texas, who established a quilt collection at the Briscoe Center in 2014,” said Adams.

Among Stevenson’s quilts on display is the award-winning Captain Tom, A Tall Texan, which has been called “a masterpiece of pictorial appliqué.” Also on view is Lone Star, made by Amanda Pairalee Hammonds of Rusk County in 1858, which is a masterful 19th century quilt and one of the earliest Texas quilts known.

The Winedale Quilt Collection is a scholarly resource that supports the study of quilts and their history. Its mission is to collect, preserve and provide access to American quilts and quilt history materials documenting the role of quilts in American culture. The Bryan Museum is pleased to partner with the Briscoe center on this exhibit, bringing to Galveston these beautiful artifacts that reflect our state’s heritage.

For more information, please contact Jordan Price, The Bryan Museum’s Director of Marketing & Membership at (409) 497-4209 or jordan@thebryanmuseum.org