I just came back from a visit to Paducah's National Quilt Museum. Now doesn't the word museum say antique to you all? Does to me and in previous visits there where beautiful antique quilts as well as the new "art quilts". Maybe I'm just old and I do love the new style of quilting, but Paducah had not a single antique quilt on exhibit. I was very disappointed and I venture to say this is the reason a lot of their downtown area has gone by the wayside. People go to the museum and are very disappointed by what they see.

Also, I'm a hand quilter, there were only machine quilts. Again, these were beautiful quilts, but definitely not what the word museum implys! They need to change the name to Modern quilt museum!!!

On their website there is information about past, current and upcoming exhibits. The next will feature older quilts. I imagine they change exhibits to maintain interest, not hang collections permanently.

To each his own, I guess. I recall the museum being rather small, and I would guess that they create rotating exhibits....maybe you wandered in during a more modern exhibition?

Museum actually does NOT connote antique to me, it suggests art / artifacts /collections...

I'm sorry you were disappointed in your visit.

When I was there last year, it was all antique quilts. Museum is a collection. They have traveling collections that come and go at different times. Most of the museums around the country share in this movement. You could go back next year and it would be different.

Good point

I know the museum seems small, but in relative to some other cities, Paducah is a small community and the museum is in the art district. They are always rotating out the displays and their site will let you know what is currently being show cased. Around the time of the annual Quilt show, there are all type of quilts on display in the entire area including many surrounding towns and you can really get your money's worth for the trip that is unless you are like me, and spend more than I should at the wonderful quilting stores all around Paducah.

I live there and go at least three or four times a month to Paducah and I should make it a point to visit the museum more often. From this small area, I am very proud that once a year we are on the map for our fablous quilters.

The time I was there they had a whole room full of OLD log cabin quilts. Guess you just need to go more often!

:roll:

I personally take offense at the criticism of any effort to showcase quilts, antique or not! All museums, including the Smithsonian, rotate their exhibits to bring freshness and also because they do not have room to show their collection at one time! Perhaps before people visit such establishments they should have the common sense to research prior to their visit, after all, wouldn't you check the weather before heading to the beach!

I have visited the National Quilt Museum three times and each time, the exhibits were vastly different.

Oh and here is the definition of the word museum in my dictionary:

museum (n): A building, place, or institution devoted to the acquisition, conservation, study, exhibition, and educational interpretation of objects having scientific, historical, or artistic value.

my mom lives in KY. I've been to the museum there several times. and they do rotate the exhibits. one year i loved it the next i didn't and then the next time i loved it. i believe they're trying to reach all quilters of all ages and all style of quilts. don't let one time keep you away. it really is a great museum and town. they have so little. they have great quilt shops, and great people who will help you with questions. they are so friendly there. :D