Newswise — A new Web site is putting historical and contemporary American quilts at the fingertips of anyone with a computer and Internet access. The Quilt Index (http://www.quiltindex.org) brings together the resources of four separate archives, including the Michigan State University Museum, the University of Louisville Archives and Records Center, the Illinois State Museum and the Tennessee State Library and Archives. From a Civil War-era family graveyard quilt to variations on a hexagon theme to an original contemporary design featuring Elvis Presley, the Index provides central, searchable access to more than 1,000 quilts documented in the four archives. Quilts can be viewed by archive as well as searched across the collections for patterns, individual quilters, themes, techniques and many other characteristics. The four participating archives contributed quilt images, surveys and documentation from state and regional projects and public collections to create the Index, which was conceived and developed by the Alliance for American Quilts in partnership with Michigan State University Museum/Great Lakes Quilt Center and MATRIX: The Center for Humane Arts and Letters Online at MSU.
The advantage of a single comprehensive Quilt Index is enormous, project architects say. "The Index provides a rich, deep resource for students, teachers, scholars, quilt makers and the general public," said Marsha MacDowell, curator of folk arts at the MSU Museum and professor of art and art history. "Quilts and quilting are made far more accessible than ever before." Quilts are windows onto the lives of the diverse cultures of the United States. Traditionally considered a women's art form, they have attracted wide interest and respect among scholars for the past 30 years. Besides providing aesthetic pleasure through their craftsmanship and beauty, quilts can be read as documents of history " revealing the stories of their makers and users, as well as the traditions of families, artists and communities. "Access to this varied cultural material across institutions illuminates patterns in the art's growth and transformation," said Justine Richardson, Quilt Index project manager at MATRIX. Shelly Zegart, co-founder of the Kentucky Quilt Project and the current board president of the Alliance for American Quilts, says the Quilt Index is the culmination of more than 20 years of effort to document and preserve the nation's quilt heritage. "The Quilt Index has long been a dream of many who study quilts and work to preserve their history," she said. The innovative technology behind the Quilt Index Establishing a pattern, gathering materials and patiently piecing is what it takes to make a quilt. That same process " using bits and bytes of electronic information instead of bits and bolts of fabric " was required to create the Quilt Index, an elegant and complex resource that is more than the sum of its many parts. Major advances in digital library technology combined with years of quilt documentation and research made the development of this comprehensive on-line Index possible. The Quilt Index architecture and Web site interface design were constructed by MATRIX, a center devoted to the application of new technologies in humanities and social science teaching and research. The technological challenge was to create a sophisticated database structure for an integrative index and a distributed, Web-based posting and delivery system. Each archive needed flexible and individualized access to manage records remotely and to accommodate information unique to its region or quilt documentation project. "The synergy of our research in digital library preservation initiatives has permitted this broad application for public humanities, art history, folklore and history," said Mark Kornbluh, director of MATRIX and associate professor of history at MSU. "This is a powerful example of humanities technology at work." The Quilt Index also required a comprehensive, controlled vocabulary and common descriptions and fields to promote meaningful searching and sorting capabilities. The faculty and curatorial staff at the MSU Museum's Great Lakes Quilt Center worked with experts in quilt research, collections management, documentation and interpretation to develop, define and test the data fields. Data preservation is a key component of the project. As the Index grows in the coming months and years, the digital information it contains is protected by redundant back-up systems, especially important as more collections from around the country begin to be incorporated. Planning and implementation of the Quilt Index was made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities division of preservation and access. Following the completion of quilt entry from each of the four pilot sites, MSU and the Alliance for American Quilts will begin working with other groups around the country to add records for the tens of thousands of quilts that have been documented by state quilt projects and collecting institutions. Quilt Index partners
The catalyst for the project was the Alliance for American Quilts, a national non-profit organization headquartered in Louisville, Ky., that promotes projects to document, preserve, and share the history and stories of quilts and quilt makers. The alliance brings together institutions and individuals from the creative, scholarly and business worlds of quilting to advance the recognition of quilts in American culture. For more information, visit www.centerforthequilt.org The MSU Museum, the state's natural and cultural history museum, is home of the Great Lakes Quilt Center. The museum has a long history of engagement in research, education, exhibitions and service projects related to quilts and holds a collection of more than 500 quilts, quilt-related ephemera and documentation. For more information, visit http://museum.msu.edu MATRIX is devoted to the application of new technologies in humanities and social science teaching and research. It creates and maintains online resources, provides training in computing and new teaching technologies and creates forums for the exchange of ideas and expertise in new teaching technologies. For more information, visit http://www.matrix.msu.edu Quilt Index Additional Quotes and Press Contacts "This tool represents a major advance in American material culture studies and is an invaluable addition to visual arts databases in general. The Quilt Index builds upon the national twenty-year effort to document American quilts through state-by-state documentation projects (a work of citizen scholarship equal to the best work of the WPA era). In its initial stage, the Index provides the public with unparalleled access to the photographs and written documentation from four of the state projects and should eventually serve as the gateway to this vast repository of information on the entire history of quilting in America. The superbly designed search interface gives researchers and the general public ready access to information that is currently scattered geographically and will allow them to make connections that would have been impossible otherwise. The site also contains a wealth of compelling features in addition to the database, including virtual exhibits and online interview videos, that will engage visitors at any level of interest." Doug DeNataleSenior Research Consultant, NewEngland Foundation for the Arts
"The first generation of quilt history books were the generalist books that were necessary to develop an overall understanding and appreciation for quilts and their history. The second generation of quilt history books, mostly as the result of the state documentation projects provided an encapsulated view of each state's or region's quilting characteristics. They were limited in numbers to the criteria set by state documentation projects. Now with the Quilt Index, the sky is the limit (or maybe I should say cyber space). Now all of those quilts that were left behind (including ours in Connecticut) will be seen and shared on the computer screen for everyone to research. Believe me when I say that the world of quilt history research is about to explode!!!" Sue ReichConnecticut Quilt Search Project
"I've been clicking my way through the site, and it is wonderful! Congratulations. This is a triumph "¦ for the Alliance, and for quilting and quilt research." Alan JabbourDirector, 1976 through 1999, American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress,
"It is especially gratifying for me to be at the helm of the Alliance for the very important launch of this landmark online resource to provide first-of-its-kind access to quilt information and images. This Quilt Index project has personally been a passion of mine since a small group first talked in the late 1980's about the need for accessibility to quilt information." Shelly ZegartCo-Founder The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc.Board President, The Alliance for American Quilts
"The Quilt Index is a gift to all who love the quilt. Quiltmakers and their quilts reflect the very heart of the American experience. Brightly colored quilts are made in virtually every American community, and they are proudly displayed in homes as well as in museums throughout the nation. Millions of quilt lovers, as well as students and scholars in fields like art history, folklore, and women's studies, will welcome this exciting new resource on American quilts." William FerrisJoel R. Williamson Distinguished Professor of HistoryAdjunct Professor in the Curriculum in FolkloreSenior Associate Director, Center for the Study of the American SouthUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"One of the major goals of The Alliance, since its inception, has been for some of the results of the state quilt documentation efforts to be available for online research and comparative study. All of us who were involved in state quilt searches will now find rich new material to examine easily and quickly on our own computers." Nancy O'BryantExecutive vice-president and director of publications and public information Quilts, Inc.
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