Joanna Semel Rose

Do you know who she is? Well neither did I until just recently, but I did a little search when I heard her name.

Joanna Semel Rose

She was an English Major, an art collector, an intellectual, prominent philanthropist, and doyenne of a leading New York real estate family. She was formerly the chairperson of the Partisan Review. However, what is most interesting to me is that she owns at least 650 quilts!

 Impressive yes, but it gets better than that. All of these quilts are red and white!

When asked by her husband what she wanted for her 80th birthday she suggested ...and I quote 

" Something I've not seen before and something that would be a gift for New York City."  Seeing all of these quilts at the same moment would be the ideal gift.  "

This is what resulted from her birthday request.

"Infinite Variety"

http://www.folkartmuseum.org/infinitevariety

An amazing quilt show displaying 650 quilts from 3 centuries. 

Here is an excerpt from what is written in the show booklet.

"These six hundred and fifty American quilts

 from three centuries (most nineteenth

 century) are not the prizewinners at fairs nor 

ones that have been passed down in families, 

cherished by several generations.  They are, 

rather, ordinary coverings, their creators 

largely anonymous, their provenance 

obscure, not meant for company beds or "best 

use."

While the industrial revolution swept through 

England in the 1800s and American pioneers 

pushed ever westward settling our continent, 

their women stayed at home raising children, 

cooking, cleaning, farming, and often piecing 

quilts from leftover scraps of material and 

socializing at quilting bees. Their

 imaginations took flight in the patterns and 

variations of traditional shapes.  The quilter 

found her subjects in nature, in the Setting 

Sun and Feathered Star, in the Wild Goose 

Chase, the Garden Maze, in Lightning and 

the Melon Patch.  In her kitchen she found 

models in Flower Pots and Fruit Baskets.

 Oak Leaf, Pine Tree, and Hickory Leaf were

 traditional New England themes drawn from

 the landscape.  Burgoyne's Surrender came 

from battle plans in history books. 

 Delectable Mountains describes the 

promised land (in settler's minds, the United 

States).  Friendship Baskets is covered with 

moral and religious maxims; Drunkard's Path

 is an admonition.  Tithing Reel was created 

to raise money for a Pennsylvania church. "

There are not a lot of occasions to make me 

wish I lived in or near New York, but this is

 definitely one of them. A quilt show of this


 caliber and 

all free of charge!

Joanna has the birthday and we get the gift!

Happy Birthday Joanna Semel Rose