A special message from Ashley Beard-Fosnow, Executive Director
Love it or hate it, winter weather is here! At my house, we snuggle up and battle the cold by burying ourselves under handmade quilts gifted or passed down to us over the years. These treasured textiles are both beautiful and practical. They are also fantastic memory keepers. The fabrics and patterns remind me of the makers and various seasons of life. Quilts found in Missouri homes, museums, and even those that adorn barns are artifacts of history, carriers of culture, and expressions of artistic creativity. Quilts hold a special place in our state’s heritage.
Bringing their needlework skills west of the Mississippi, women settlers used fabric scraps to create warm bedding for Missouri’s harsh winters. German immigrants brought distinct patterns and methods, favoring geometric designs and precision in their quilting. African American quilters contributed beautiful styles often rooted in storytelling and symbolism, drawing from the quilting heritage of enslaved communities. In contemporary Missouri, quilting continues to thrive as both a hobby and a cultural practice. You will find quilts displayed in exhibits, galleries, and museums across the state, including the Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton.
Last week, we launched a new campaign at Missouri Humanities inspired by the patterns of a quilt to connect Missourians to noteworthy people, places, and ideas. The fabric of our society is created through our culture — our traditions, food, music, and stories. Imagine a place where you can see all this fabric of our culture all at once. Developed by OBP, the Common Thread landing page at https://mohumanities.org/discover/ allows visitors to dive into each panel on the page to experience its rich humanities layers one at a time.
Our work at Missouri Humanities exposes Missourians to the diverse threads that weave Missouri’s unique cultural tapestry. The humanities benefit each one of us by helping us think about and consider life’s challenges, wrapping us in comfort when they happen, and assuring us that we are not alone. The humanities include the study of all languages, literature, history, and philosophy. More important than ever, the humanities are for those who want to explore every thread of the human experience. Through culture and heritage, we discover how the individual voices of Missourians weave together to form a vibrant, cohesive whole.
Image: John M. Robinson III donated this beautiful handstitched quilt to support our 2021 MOmentum Gala auction.
