Quilt Week in Paducah is coming up quick – this year, it’s April 22-25. In honor of this gigantic tourism event in Western Kentucky, I took a road trip to look around the National Quilt Museum in quaint downtown Paducah.
There’s plenty of free parking, it’s super accessible, and admission to get in was $15 for adults. (Next year I’ll get the senior discount, but that’s another topic entirely.) Inside the lobby, you’ll find a cute gift shop so don’t forget to look around.
But the big surprise for me was the quilts. These aren’t your Mamaw’s quilts made from Papaw’s old shirts. The quilts on display are quilts in name only – they are individual pieces of fabric artwork – some created by hand, others with the magic of machines and technology (but always with the dream and inspiration of a real live artist at the center.) Some are traditional; some are abstract. Some are full size – others are more like stitched wall art. Some are fabric only, and some are embellished with embroidery, rhinestones and sequins. One of the most interesting ones I saw was fashioned to look like a mother board – and the front was made from old microfiche. There are even some tiny ones sized perfectly for a dollhouse bed. Can you imagine?
The museum houses in their collection nearly 700 of the most amazing quilts in the world – plus they have temporary exhibits from both emerging and experienced quilters. The museum was created in 1991 by Paducah residents Bill and Meredith Schroeder, founders of the American Quilters Society. In 2008, the museum received its national designation from Congress.
Fun facts:
· The oldest quilts in the museum were created in 1980.
· Over 500 individual artists are represented in the collection, from 48 states and 14 countries.
· The collection houses ten of the “100 Best American Quilts of the 20th Century.”
· Three of the stained-glass windows in the lobby are based on quilts in the collection, and they are absolutely stunning.
In a few short weeks, Western Kentucky will be filled with quilters from all over, converging to learn, explore, trade secrets, shop and eat – and it’s an economic boom for the area. Lots of them stay at the Inn. Are you planning to attend this year?