The International Quilt Study Center and Museum will host back-to-back evenings of free events this week, including a panel discussion on the role of arts in healing and a First Friday celebration of its newest collection.

“Healing and the Humanities”

Taking place Sept. 6, “Healing and the Humanities” is a panel discussion looking at the historical role arts — including quiltmaking — have played in healing and recovery. Moderated by Carolyn Ducey, curator of collections at the museum, guest panelists will include:

• Virginia Aita, retired professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Public Health
• Mark Hall, public speaker on military history
• Stacy C. Hollander, chief curator at the American Folk Art Museum
• Sheila A. Ryan, professor and director of international programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Nursing

The panel is being held in conjunction with “War and Pieced: The Annette Gero Collection of Quilts from Military Fabrics,” which is on display at the museum through Sept. 16. The exhibition is a collaborative effort by the American Folk Art Museum, Gero and the quilt museum. The complex geometric quilts featured in the exhibition were made by soldiers primarily during 19th century British military conflicts. With fewer than 100 known examples, the exhibition examines how and why these quilts were made as well as by whom.

A reception for “Healing and the Humanities” will begin at 4:30 p.m., and the panel will take place at 5:15 p.m. Both are free and open to the public. The panel will also be live-streamed on the museum’s Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/quiltstudy

“Mark Dunn Collection”

The museum will also celebrate the opening of the “Mark Dunn Collection” from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 7 as a part of Lincoln’s First Friday festivities. During the opening, Dunn, president and owner of Moda Fabrics, will present a lecture, “Quilts and Their Stories” at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibition, displayed in the Lois Gottsch Gallery, draws from Dunn’s eclectic personal collection of historical, contemporary and art quilts.

The museum will also host and honor students from the Lincoln Public Schools Arts and Humanities Focus Program during this event. A display of quilts made by the students will be on display.