A large exhibition of quilts dating from the 1850s to the 1980s will open this week in downtown Hopkinsville.
“The exhibition features 16 quilts and decorative quilt tops from the museum’s collection,” organizers said in a press release from the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville-Christian County. “Each one is a beautiful, handcrafted work of art and represents hours of time and dedication.”
Providing “a wide variety of quilting styles and techniques in this rich American textile tradition,” the exhibition will be open at the Pennyroyal Area Museum, 217 E. Ninth St., through May 30.
An opening reception is planned from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, for museum members, who may enjoy champagne and light snacks during the exclusive, after-hours event.
The museum will also host a show-and-tell event for anyone who wants to bring in their own quilt to share. It will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 16.
When the quilt show closes, community members will get a chance to learn about the museum’s packing and storage techniques. This will occur from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2.
“Help us put our quilts away with museum Registrar Amber Selfe as she demonstrates best practices for storing these precious, historic textiles in this hands-on museum experience,” the release states. “Apply what you learn to your own quilts at home.”
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
Annual memberships can be obtained online at several levels, including a single for $25, dual for $40 and household for $60. Members receive free admission, a 10% discount in the museum shop, invitations to special events and other benefits.
The Pennyroyal Area Museum and its collection of artifacts is housed in the former Hopkinsville Post Office building.
A Greek Revival-style structure of sandstone, it was described in a newspaper headline as “an architectural ornament to the city” when it opened as Hopkinsville’s first federally owned U.S. Post Office building in 1915. The building served as a post office until 1967. The museum opened in 1976.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
