Exhibition at Smithsonian Examines Traditional, Innovative Amish Designs

A new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum explores the creative practice of Amish quilters in the United States. “Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women” looks beyond quilting as a utilitarian practice. It reveals historical quilting among the Amish as an aesthetic endeavor that walked a line between cultural and individual expression. The quilts paradoxically twin the plain with the spectacular, tradition with innovation, and a dismissal of personal pride with objects often seen as extraordinary artworks.