National Quilt Museum launches Preservation Society for quilt care

The National Quilt Museum has launched a new Preservation Society to fund the long-term care of more than 700 quilts, along with the building systems that protect them. The push comes as the Paducah museum faced an HVAC failure this summer, underscoring how fragile textile preservation can be.

Why it matters: - The National Quilt Museum’s collection depends on more than display space; it needs climate control, lighting, storage and preservation materials to protect textiles over time. - The Preservation Society is designed to help fund both the quilts themselves and the systems that keep the collection safe for future generations. - More than 700 works in the museum’s collection could be affected by failures in temperature, humidity or building infrastructure.

What happened: - The National Quilt Museum launched the Preservation Society, a new giving initiative focused on collection care and facility protection. - Laura Grimes, the museum’s director of development and special projects, created the program. - The launch came as the museum dealt with an unexpected HVAC failure during July heat, and the unit could not be repaired. - More than 90 donors stepped in within weeks of the program’s launch to support the museum, its facilities and its collection.

The details: - Preservation Society gifts can support archival-quality materials, year-round conservation work and major infrastructure improvements. - The museum says climate control must stay reliable because textiles are sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. - Gallery lighting has to balance visitor access with protection for fragile works. - Storage environments and materials must be appropriate for quilts not on display. - Buildings must also be protected against moisture and other environmental threats. - The museum’s collection highlights contemporary quiltmaking and includes artists, techniques and creative approaches that have expanded quilts’ role as contemporary art. - Support levels vary, and gifts can go toward individual preservation materials, ongoing collection care or larger facility needs. - Artist Sylvia Pickell said she has seen the damage improper storage can cause to textiles. - Pickell’s quilt, Escape From Circle City, was an early museum acquisition and remains in the collection.

Between the lines: - The HVAC failure made a behind-the-scenes preservation need visible in a way visitors rarely see. - The new program is as much about infrastructure as it is about art, which reflects the cost of caring for textile collections over time. - The museum is framing preservation as a shared responsibility between artists, donors and the institution. - Executive Director Bonnie Schrock said the museum’s role is to protect the work so people decades from now can experience the creativity, craftsmanship and stories in the quilts.

What's next: - The museum will use Preservation Society support for preservation materials, ongoing care and future facility and infrastructure needs. - Supporters can give at multiple levels through the museum’s Preservation Society page. - More information is available at the Preservation Society page. - The museum will continue to present and safeguard quilts so they remain available for study, exhibition and public viewing.

The bottom line: - The National Quilt Museum is asking supporters to help preserve not just quilts, but the climate-controlled environment that keeps them alive for the next generation.