Lone Star medallion quilt, late Nineteenth Century, Ellen Fullard Wright (1818‸9), Rhode Island, collection of the Shelburne Museum, pieced, appliquéd and quilted cotton, 95 by 73 inches.

The Cincinnati Art Museum will celebrate the American tradition of quiltmaking through the special exhibition “Masterpiece Quilts from the Shelburne Museum,” on view February 16⁊une 1. This internationally recognized collection will feature more than 35 quilts from the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions; they date from the 1800s to 1900s.

“This exhibition showcases the finest quilts and will give visitors a chance to appreciate the amazing skill and craftsmanship required to create these textiles,” said Cynthia Amnéus, associate curator of costume and textiles.

The exhibition will feature an interactive space where visitors can try their hand at quilting, as well as see quilting demonstrations by members of the Ohio Valley Quilters’ Guild. The museum will also collaborate with the guild to create a quilt using fabric donated by the Cincinnati community. Visitors can see the completed quilt during Community Day on April 5 at the museum.

Quiltmaking has been an integral part of the American culture since the late Eighteenth Century, especially for women. Although quilts are often thought of as only functional bed coverings, most of the pieces in this exhibition were actually created as works of art †they were made to be admired rather than used.

Major Ringgold album quilt, 1846, maker unknown, Baltimore, Md., collection of the Shelburne Museum, pieced and appliquéd quilted cotton, 92 by 111 inches.

The exhibition includes more than 35 quilts from the Shelburne Museum’s collection, regarded for its exceptional depth, range and quality. Organized by different construction techniques, the exhibition includes album, Amish, appliqué, chintz appliqué, pieced, crazy patchwork and whole cloth quilts.

“Each of the different styles of quilts seen in this exhibition require a different set of skills and exemplifies an extraordinary range of artistic impulses,” said Amnéus. “Visitors will see orderly designs such as the Amish Concentric Squares Quilt, as well as quilts with rich textures and chaotic patterns like the Crazy Patchwork Quilt.”

The exhibition is organized by the Shelburne Museum, Vermont, and is accompanied by Art of the Needle, 100 Masterpieces Quilts from the Shelburne Museum, a fully illustrated 140-page catalog written by Henry Joyce, chief curator at the Shelburne Museum.

The museum is at 953 Eden Park Drive For information, www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org or 513-639-2995.