Collections by Name | Collections by Region
Michigan Quilt Project
Michigan began its own inventory of quilts and quilt makers in 1984 under the direction of the Michigan Traditional Arts Program and MSU Museum, and continues today with the dedicated participation of volunteers throughout the state. The goal was simply to document quilts-regardless of age, technique, or original provenance-that had meaning to a Michigander or Michigan organization. Since the Michigan Quilt Project (MQP) began, over 75 Quilt Discovery Days have been held at libraries, museums, extension offices, churches, and other locations throughout the state. Special efforts were made during 1986 to record quilting in the Upper Peninsula and African American quilting, both traditions that were under-represented in the first year of the project.
The Michigan Quilt Project (MQP) Collection consists of photographs, oral history interviews, over 10,000 quilt inventory forms, and ephemera associated with the state's quilt documentation project. Housed at the Michigan State University Museum, the collection serves as an important source of data for research, education, and exhibitions projects.The Michigan Quilt Project Collection provided the data for an initial survey exhibition and accompanying publication, Michigan Quilts: 150 Years of a Textile Tradition (1987).
