Virginia Gunn – quilt scholar, author and professor at the University of Akron in Ohio – will discuss influences on 19th-century red and green applique quilts in a free lecture at 2 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Home Economics Building, room 31, on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.
Gunn will speak in conjunction with the quilt exhibition “Red, White and Green All Over” showing in the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery through Feb. 5.
Red and green applique quilts originated in the Mid-Atlantic about 1840, with deep roots in Pennsylvania, and were the result of a blending of English needlework traditions and German folk art designs. Gunn will discuss the origins of the elegant genre of red and green applique quilts, including their unique designs, patterns, color palette, construction and the people who made them. A reception will follow her talk.
The program was made possible with funding by Humanities Nebraska, a statewide, nonprofit organization inspiring and enriching personal and public life by offering opportunities to thoughtfully engage with history and culture, and with support from the Friends of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery.
The gallery is on the second floor of the Home Economics Building, on 35th Street north of East Campus Loop. Guest parking is available near the building, and metered stalls are located in the Nebraska East Union lot.