Biennial Symposium

Drawing inspiration from the International Quilt Study Center's current exhibition, Marseille: White Corded Quilting, the Center's fifth biennial symposium will explore the elegant tradition of quilted and corded needlework that inspired international fashion and trade.

Invited Speakers:
Linda Baumgarten, curator of textiles and costumes at Colonial Williamsburg, will discuss the wide array of quilting styles and techniques popular from 1600 to 1800.

Kathryn Berenson, world-renowned expert on French textiles, will trace 'French' and 'Marseille' quilting in the western world through a review of surviving pieces and historical documents.

Laurel Horton, independent quilt researcher and award-winning author, will focus on early American white bedcovers and examine the associations with patchwork that led to the romantic portrayal of quilts emerging from necessity on the colonial frontier.

Beverly Lemire, Professor of History at the University of Alberta, will explore the development of quilt culture in the west, tracing this culture through the twists and turns of high politics and popular fashions.


Tours and Other Sessions
Registrants will enjoy curator-led tours of the exhibitions Marseille: White Corded Quilting and
The Art Quilt Revisted, as well as behind-the-scenes conservation and exhibition tours. In addition, Jonathan Holstein will facilitate a Show and Tell session on Saturday afternoon.

Registration fees ($110 Museum members, $150 non-Museum members) includes all lectures, four tours/special sessions, student fashion show, Thursday and Friday receptions and coffee breaks and lunches. Online registration available soon.

Watch this site for details.


Previous symposia:
2009: The Global Quilt: Cultural Contexts
2007: Traditions and Trajectories: Education and the Quiltmaker
2005: Collectors, Collecting and Collections
2003: Wild by Design