In 1997, the center was formed, as the first academic center devoted to the study of quilts across time and space. The Jameses approached Patricia Crews, professor of textiles, clothing and design at UNL, who was the academic advisor to the project team and co-editor the Nebraska book, and asked if the university would be interested in accepting a donation of their collection. Impressed by the quality of the research featured in "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers" and the level of grassroots support among Nebraskans, they proposed that UNL was an ideal home for their quilts. The Jameses looked to their home state of Nebraska, recognized as a leader in the movement to document quilt history. Shortly after the results of the state survey were published in an award-winning volume titled "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers," Ardis and Robert James began looking for a home for their outstanding collection of nearly 1,000 quilts. Led by director Frankie Best, the group recorded family stories, photographed each quilt, and gathered background on the quiltmakers, including gender, occupation, ethnicity, religious background, education, and the occasion that prompted a quilt's creation. The Nebraska quilt project team, in numerous day-long events, collected information on 1,557 quiltmakers who made 3,216 quilts between 18. Twenty-five years ago, a dedicated group of 21 volunteers set out to document Nebraska quilts that remained in private hands, fearful that the rich heritage inherent in the family quilts would be lost forever if not documented. This exhibition of 15 quilts celebrates the work of the Nebraska Quilt Project team - pioneering individuals who preserved an invaluable record of life in the state, told through the history of cherished quilts. The International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will present "Nebraska Quilts and Quiltmakers" April 8 through Oct. Crazy quilt made by the Nebraska Quilt Project Committee, 1990-2000, in commemoration of the project. Lincoln, Neb., March 29th, 2011 - "Nebraska," by Louise Howey (1945).
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