We’re headed West this weekend–to Paducah–to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Bricolage Art Collective. We’ll be signing books on-site at Market House Square and exploring Quilt City USA! We’d love to hear from you: What can we NOT MISS while we’re walking down Main Street, looking for cracks in the flood walls, and keeping warm under a hand-sewn quilt?
But don’t think we’re entirely clueless about the largest city in the Purchase. We visited the National Quilt Museum while traveling for My Old Kentucky Road Trip (the book). We’ll fill you in on our trip below, and you can share your favorite Paducah-area trips in the comments. See you Saturday!
Road tripping to the National Quilt Museum
The art of quilting is far older than the state of Kentucky—it dates back to years that end in BC— but it is woven into the history and culture of the state and remains an important tradition today. This is particularly true in historic downtown Paducah, where you can visit the National Quilt Museum, one of the most respected and well-known organizations among quilting enthusiasts.
Since it opened more than two decades ago, the National Quilt Museum has aimed to support quilters and advance the art of quilting by displaying exceptional quilt and fiber art exhibits, providing workshops and educational opportunities, and promoting the unique art of quilting. Over the years, the museum has grown, and today it is a destination for quilting and fiber art enthusiasts from around the world. Visitors from all fifty states and more than forty foreign countries arrive each year to view the museum’s diverse onsite and traveling exhibits.
The museum was founded by quilting enthusiasts and Paducah residents Bill and Meredith Schroeder. They wanted to open a place to celebrate the work of today’s quilters and establish an environment to bring the art form to new audiences. This one-of-a-kind attraction rotates its exhibits eight to ten times per year, so each visit is fresh and unique. The museum also continually strives to expand its collection, which began with just 85 quilts on loan. Today, the museum is home to more than 320 works of art and hosts regular traveling exhibits of quilt and fiber art throughout the year. For a schedule of upcoming exhibits, visit the National Quilt Museum website at www.quiltmuseum.org.
MY OLD KENTUCKY ROAD TRIP 