In our country’s current polarized state, the one that makes us dread family gatherings and mute friends on social media, Ken Burns suggests quilts. The acclaimed documentarian, lovingly considered the narrator of the American story, has long collected what he considers is the “cleanest, simplest, and most authentic expression of who we are as a people,” and this month, the Upcountry History Museum will play temporary home to a small sample of these handsewn pieces of history.
Uncovered: The Ken Burns Collection, features 26 of the famous filmmaker’s quilts, dating from the 1850s to 1940s—all expertly crafted and stitched by hand. And while you may be tempted to think you can simply find these in your grandmother’s chest of drawers, each quilt in the collection has a story to tell. Like the one for the Red Cross, a beautifully designed piece dotted with crimson crosses, created to raise funds during World War I. Or the Star of Temperance quilt covered in a sea of six-point stars, an eloquent example of how women used fabric to express their voices.
And while the intricacy of the appliqué or vibrancy of color patterns may stir our creative appreciation, the entire collection begs the viewer to go a bit deeper. It’s a tangible display of our history, one that Burns hopes will spark dialogue and remind us of our shared humanity.
Uncovered: The Ken Burns Collection will be on display from October 9–January 30, 2022. For more, visit upcountryhistory.org.
More to see at the Upcountry History Museum
Check out these one-of-a-kind exhibits.
Manzanar: The Wartime Photographs of Ansel Adams
Experience a rare collection of historical works from renowned photographer Ansel Adams. During the 1940s, Adams, along with Dorothea Lange and Toyo Miyatake, documented the daily life of Japanese Americans in relocation camps, now gathered together in this truly eye-opening exhibit. On display through October 31.
Norman Rockwell’s Home for the Holidays
If you’re hankering for some good old-fashioned Christmas nostalgia, this exhibit will do the trick. Featuring forty of Norman Rockwell’s most beloved and recognizable holiday images, including our favorite rosy-cheeked Santa, you’ll be singing Bing Crosby all the way through New Year’s day after viewing these treasured pieces. On display from November 13–February 22, 2021.
