current exhibition

Amish & Mennonite Quilts

from the Big Valley & Beyond

On view through August 24, 2008

This exhibition features twelve recently acquired quilts that expand the Denver Art Museum’s collection of more than 300 quilts.

Five of the quilts demonstrate the design and color preferences of the three groups of Old Order Amish in the Kishacoquilla Valley of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania: Nebraska, Byler, and Peachey Amish. Each of these groups follows a different Ordnung—the rules that govern all areas of Amish life, from the colors and styles that can be used for clothing to the patterns and stitched motifs that are appropriate for quilts.

In addition to the Big Valley Amish quilts, the show includes examples of Amish quilts made in Somerset and Lawrence Counties in Pennsylvania, Midwest Amish quilts, and Mennonite quilts from Pennsylvania.