Guest Lecturer Talks Quilts at the Customs House Museum

Clarksville, TN – The Customs House Museum is showcasing part of its quilt collection through January in the exhibit Patterns of History.

Sponsored in part by Legends Bank, this exhibit highlights covers dating as far back as 1830. Included is a Mexican Rose quilt (c. 1850 – 1860) and a “Crazy Quilt” piano runner (c. 1880) made by Lena McLean of Rutherford County, TN.

Lena McLean made this quilt runner before her marriage to John E. Evans. On a triangle of blue fabric is an embroidered yellow “L” for Lena.

In conjunction with the museum’s celebration of Tennessee crafts, which is partially funded by an NEA grant, the Customs House welcomes Judy Schwender of the National Quilt Museum on January 17th, 2016.

Judy is a past Board Member of the American Quilt Study Group and in 2007 she was a co-presenter of “Quilt School: The Role of the Quilt Museum” at Traditions and Trajectories: Education and the Quiltmaker, a Symposium sponsored by the International Quilt Study Center.

She is an Associate Fellow at the IQSC as well. In 2008 her article on string-pieced quilts was published by the Japan Handicrafts Instructors Association and her article on appliqué in 2014. She has written the block commentary for ten of the New Quilts from an Old Favorite books published by the American Quilter’s Society.

Since 2004 Judy has been the Curator of Collections and Registrar at the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky where she has curated over 40 exhibits. In July 2013 she lectured on traditional quilt styles by invitation of Cotton Council International in Beijing, China. She served as juror for Quilt National 2015, at The Dairy Barn Arts Center, Athens, Ohio. She was invited to Japan in November 2015 as a juror for 13th Quilt Nihon by the Japan Handicraft Instructors Association.

Ms. Schwender’s talk will begin at 2:00pm on Sunday, January 17th. The audience is invited to bring a personal quilt for discussion. This event is free with paid museum admission.

For more information on above event contact Terri Jordan, Exhibits Curator, at 931.648.5780 or terri@customshousemuseum.org

About the Customs House Museum

Located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the State’s second largest general museum.

With over 35,000 square feet of the region’s best hands-on activities and special events…people of all ages agree – the Customs House Museum is well worth the stop!

The Explorer’s Gallery is packed with fun, learning and fantasy in Aunt Alice’s Attic, McGregor’s Market and kitchen, and of course – the Bubble Cave! Finally, get “all aboard” to see our fantastic model trains. Our volunteer engineers “ride the rails” every Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $7.00, Senior Citizens and College ID $5.00, Ages 6 to 18 $3.00, and under six years and Museum members are free.

The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street. For more information, call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at www.customshousemuseum.org