I've been off line for a while, but I'll come back to that at the end.

Back in 2012, THE AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM dramatically transformed the  NYC Park Avenue Armory's 55,000 square foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall with the installation of 650 red and white American quilts, all on loan from the Joanna S. Rose collection.  It was the largest exhibition of quilts ever held in the city.  This magical and spectacular presentation, yet ephemeral moment was captured in a fully illustrated catalog written by guest curator Elizabeth V. Warren.  It only lasted 6 days.

Although the exhibit is long past, I want to draw attention again not only to the quilts, which are incredible by themselves, but also to the way they were exhibited.  To me, the most extraordinary part is ‘how’ the quilts were displayed.  Transforming the armory couldn’t have been easy. Quilts were suspended  from above, allowing the viewers to see them from beneath, walk around them, both close and distant, hung in a spiral display. Some quilts were folded carefully over chairs highlighted by bright lights.  Some were displayed by conventional museum methods stretched gingerly over easel like displays for closer inspection of the intricate and detailed craftsmanship.  But to my eyes, the show stealer's were those spiral hung beautifies, dizzily hanging over head like a magic carpet ride. 

Quilts tend to be heavy, especially older quilts. Although it’s been two years since the show, I’m still captivated.  How did this method grow conceptually, wondering where the original idea came from?   Sadly, I did not get to attend the show.  I was scheduled to be in NYC for work, but last minutes work plans took me to San Francisco instead. From time to time I search INFINITE VARIETY, THREE CENTURIES OF RED AND WHITE QUILTS, or the Joanna S. Rose quilt collection just to see the images again and again and again.  Maybe you’d like to also…….

But back to the VERY BLUE part.....we stepped away these past days because we lost two dear family members Sunday June 1. Sue and Bob Kammeraad were returning home from a late afternoon motorcycle ride when the careless distraction of a 23 year old driver caused her car to swerve and drive directly into oncoming traffic.  Both were killed instantly.  After more than 45 years of marriage they left this earth together.  We spent vacations, holidays, and birthdays together.  We stitched together and I taught her to quilt, she tried endlessly to teach me to knit (unsuccessfully I might add…..though not her fault).  We enjoyed a wonderful stitch retreat this past March.  A few months earlier we finished a quilt she started for her youngest son, begun about 25 years earlier.  The quilt was a charming red, white and blue trip around the world design.  The irony is not lost on me.  Mourning, I’m now left with memories to carry me thru the upcoming months and years without them.  The photo isn’t the best, but here she is holding that quilt, finally finished, with sister Shirley nearby.  A proud moment for all.........

In memorian.....Susan Kammeraad