Southern Illinois University Museum Collection of Quilts

Quilts have gone from being utilitarian bed coverings to works of art. From August 19 to October 19, 2008, the quilts made by the late Bessie Lutes were on display at the Mitchell Gallery of the SIUC University Museum. In a special segment of WSIU’s weekly magazine, InFocus, Mrs. Lutes' son, Carl, takes Deb Whitlatch on a tour of the quilt display. He points out the various pieced and embroidered works his mother created at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. Click to watch now.

There are also a couple quilts made by his grandmother that are around 120 years old. The quilts belong to various members of the Lutes family. Mr. Lutes made a booklet to catalog his mother's quilts for posterity's sake. He showed the booklet to Dona Bachman, museum director and she arranged for to exhibit the quilts. The exhibit coincided with a homecoming for the Lutes family on the 25th anniversary of Bessie Lutes' death. For more information about Southern Illinois University Museum, visit www.museum.siu.edu