Charleston , Kanawha County , West Virginia

Quilts that cover seven decades of American history will soon be on display at the Clay Center in Charleston.

The 25 historic quilts from across the country will be in a display that opens Friday in an exhibit called “American Quilts in the Modern Age, 1870 – 1940,” according to a news release from the Clay Center.

Featuring examples of pieced block, Crazy style, Colonial Revival and one-of-a-kind innovations, these traditional and modern quilt designs stitch together the rapid societal and technological shifts in American life between the Civil War and World War II.

The Clay Center is hosting the exhibit through a partnership with the Kanawha Valley Quilters Guild. Guild member Juanita Reed brought the idea to the Center in 2010, and the two worked together to bring it to life.

“I always had a dream of bringing a quilt exhibit to Charleston to let people see how beautiful and interesting quilts could be,” she said. “The Clay Center seemed like the perfect place to make that happen, so I set up a meeting with the curator and it went from there.”

Along with securing the national exhibit, the guild helped organize the Center’s “WV Contemporary Quilt Invitational,” an exhibit of award-winning creations from across the state that is currently on display. Both exhibits will remain open through March 30.

In addition, the Clay Center and the guild collaborated with Friends of WV Culture and History to schedule free lectures and a workshop on quilting that will begin in February. Workshop participants can bring in a quilt of their own and discover its history using color, craftsmanship and technique with the help of an expert in a special workshop at 9 a.m. or 1 p.m. Feb. 9. Space is limited, so people interested in participating should call 304-561-3570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

Also in the art gallery, visitors can see decorated trees and original works by emerging West Virginia artists in “Traditions: A Celebration of Heritage,” the center’s annual holiday exhibit, open through Dec. 30.

Museum gallery admission is free for museum members or $6 for children and $7.50 for adults. For more information on these and other Clay Center exhibits and programs, visit www.theclaycenter.org or call 304-561-3570.

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