TAUNY "Warmth, Remembrance, and Art: 200 Years of Quilts and Comforters in Northern New York" Exhibit

Whether you are looking for something to do on a rainy spring day, or you have an interest in quilting, the Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) in downtown Canton, NY is the place to visit. TAUNY is currently hosting an exhibit called "Warmth, Remembrance, and Art: 200 Years of Quilts and Comforters in Northern New York." The exhibit is set to run April through October 2016.  TAUNY is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A chalkboard sign outside the TAUNY storefront location usually lets passersby know that the exhibition is open. Akwesasronon will surely be surprised when they see local cultural artifacts and historical quilts.

"Warmth, Remembrance, and Art: 200 Years of Quilts and Comforters in Northern New York" is a physical collection of quilts and comforters from the vast region north of the Mohawk River that includes the Adirondacks, the Tug Hill Plateau, the St. Lawrence River Valley, the Thousand Islands, and the Lake Champlain Basin. Dozens of quilters throughout the region were consulted and more than 1,000 quilts and comforters were studied by Hallie E. Bond, Historian, and Jill Breit, Folklorist and Director of TAUNY. These two women initiated the Northern New York Quilt Project (NNQP).  Bond and Breit's NNQP study will become a permanent part of the TAUNY archives. 

People will be in awe as they observe the prominent quilts hanging inside the TAUNY location. The main level of the exhibit showcases work from Amish and Mennonite quilters. There is also an explanation of the difference between a quilt and comforter, as well as quilts and comforters that are definitive status, membership and artistic ability. One feature quilt of particular interest to Akwesasronon is a signed quilt with names of men who were part of the Akwesasne Mohawk Counselors Organization from 1940. This quilt was donated by Donald Cook for the exhibit.

That is not the only piece of the exhibit that will be of interest to Akwesasronon; the upstairs portion of the exhibit features a sewing basket, a beaded scissor case and a beaded pincushion which are all housed under a class display case. This display along with a classic treadle sewing machine are definitive of the tools that were used in the past to create quilts and comforters. The upstairs portion of the exhibit also displays two different collections of family heirloom quilts. This particular exhibit contrasts the 19th century life of two families, which is shown in their choice of quilting technique and style. This level of the exhibit also demonstrate the thriftiness of North Country quilters with their use of re-purposed material from feed sacs to old pieces of wool from coats and pants.  A Dreamcrafters Quilt Shop display is also featured. This section of the exhibit concentrates on the business of quilting and how many North Country women chose quilting as a profession, whether it was selling quilts, fabrics, tools, hosting classes or working as a quilter and for hire.    

Like traditional basket making and beading, quilting provides a sense of therapy and relaxation with the use of different patterns, techniques and colors. Quilting often united people and brings many generations together, just like basket making and beading. For centuries, women have been creating quilts and comforters for a variety of reasons including necessity for cold North County winters, celebratory times such as a birth of a child, various gatherings and for artistic reasons. In each case, a legacy and timeless tradition is documented with each stitch and often stories are associated with each unique quilt and comforter that is created. 

To this day the Akwesasne Freedom School continues to host their annual quilt auction in Akwesasne. Each year, people come back to support and make the auction a success, but why? It's just quilts right? Here is where quilts become more than just functional and aesthetic objects.  Jill Breit describes, "People are drawn to quilts. They respond to them emotionally.  So many in our rural region have an association with a quilt or quilters in their own lives."  That is the reason why we come back each year because we each have a personal and unique connection to quilts and quilting. The "Warmth, Remembrance, and Art: 200 Years of Quilts and Comforters in Northern New York" exhibit at TAUNY is no different.  According to Jill Breit, "Our objective in this exhibition has been to go beyond the objects to the stories of the people behind them." And that is what people will get when they take the time to visit and explore this TAUNY quilt and comforter showcase.