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[Audio] 'Simply Southwest' & 'School Block Challenge,' New Exhibits at National Quilt Museum

Courtesy of National Quilt Museum

The National Quilt Museum in Paducah is getting ready to open two new exhibits, kicking off 2016: the regional guild show, "Simply Southwest" and the annual kids' contest, "School Block Challenge." On Sounds Good, Tracy Ross speaks with Judy Schwender, Curator of Collections and Registrar, about these exhibits and a peek at 'The Other Side' coming in February.

New and unexpected patterns and pops of color can be seen at the National Quilt Museum this month, with the opening of two exhibits on January 15, running through March 1. Schwender says there's less than a week left to see the current exhibit, "Red, White & Quilted" featuring contemporary and antique quilts made entirely with the colors of red and white.

"Simply Southwest"

The regional guild show features quilts by guild members from Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, from people who have a wonderful sense of place, Schwender says. The quilts represent a microcosm of the region, featuring a combination of tans and blues.

"School Block Challenge"

This exhibit showcases the annual national contest for kids, where participants from Kindergarten through 12th grade design their own 16 x 16 quilt block. The blocks are judged and the winners are chosen, but all of the blocks are on display. This year's exhibit shows 222 blocks from 329 children representing 17 states. Schwender says seasoned quilters often marvel at the techniques of the children since they approach quilting differently and without a preconceived set of rules.

Coming in February

The National Quilt Museum will show 'The Other Side' of quilts in February, where the backs will be on display. Sometimes the backs are more interesting than the front, she says, where the threads that hold the pieces together can be seen, sometimes creating an entirely different pattern or showing different colors than the front. In some cases, quilters piece an entirely different quilt on the back.

National Quilt Museum website

Tracy started working for WKMS in 1994 while attending Murray State University. After receiving his Bachelors and Masters degrees from MSU he was hired as Operations/Web/Sports Director in 2000. Tracy hosted All Things Considered from 2004-2012 and has served as host/producer of several music shows including Cafe Jazz, and Jazz Horizons. In 2001, Tracy revived Beyond The Edge, a legacy alternative music program that had been on hiatus for several years. Tracy was named Program Director in 2011 and created the midday music and conversation program Sounds Good in 2012 which he hosts Monday-Thursday. Tracy lives in Murray with his wife, son and daughter.
Matt Markgraf joined the WKMS team as a student in January 2007. He's served in a variety of roles over the years: as News Director March 2016-September 2019 and previously as the New Media & Promotions Coordinator beginning in 2011. Prior to that, he was a graduate and undergraduate assistant. He is currently the host of the international music show Imported on Sunday nights at 10 p.m.
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