Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Park Avenue Armory - Loving Old Buildings

Armory floor reflecting pavilion framework
Remember the "Infinite Variety" quilt exhibit held at the Armory in NYC? (Silly question, right?)
The exhibit was a fabulous experience so I was thrilled to read a recent article in Preservation magazine, "A Salute To Armories" - with a feature section on the Park Avenue Armory.
For those of who toured the Drill Hall Interior Rooms and saw some of the restoration in progress it is interesting to see some of the completed work.  The site also has an Interiors Guide to download.




Restoration in progress on walls


The Park Avenue Armory has been an amazing venue - look at these events.  Many beautiful pictures.

It is a wonderful thing to have the rooms restored to their "historic essence while fulfilling contemporary needs"







Is it gathering with other quilters and quilts?

What does this have to do with quilts?
I was thinking of the quilt exhibits I have most enjoyed and why.

Is it the people? the quilts? the setting?
A combination of the total experience?

The setting is an added bonus for me when it includes a historic building.
Museums also offer interesting settings.

Do you have a favorite local exhibit or venue?





Other shows held in historic buildings:  (Not a comprehensive list)
    The Great Lakes Seaway Trail 2012 Quilt Show
    Galveston Mainland Quilt Guild
    Cape May Quilt and Fiber Show
   Aurora Colony - includes slide show

6 comments:

  1. Interesting post. Yes, I'd say venue is important. I do enjoy seeing old quilts in historical buildings. Just seems like the right place for them. Our guild show is in a huge expo center and just being in the building is exhausting - very high ceiling and concrete floor. I'll have to check out these links. I've always wanted to visit Cape May. Love the photo of the red and whites. The more time passes, the more I kick myself for not going to that show.

    ReplyDelete
  2. you know, coming from such a rural area i've only been to one show that was at anything except a handy place big enough or a convention center of some sort.
    i happened to visit my mom in oregon one year and we traveled to see the sisters outdoor show.
    it WAS fun to see all of the quilts in that type of setting.
    i do remember worrying about possible sun damage to them as it was quite hot and sunny.
    the particular staged setting that you show in your post for the red and white quilts is very interesting and does make the point well that quilters work together and sometimes create similar pieces but the works still very much reflect the personality of the individual makers.
    when i go to shows i love to see others who i know and enjoy quilts that i might not otherwise get to see.
    i also LOVE the vendors~!

    :-)
    libbyQ

    ReplyDelete
  3. Every other year the Colorado Quilting Council puts on a quilt exhibit in the Colorado Capitol Building in Denver. It is a beautiful historic venue for displaying approximately 250 quilts. The next show will be in the summer of 2013.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The only quilt shows I have seen were two held in my small valley and they were each in a different, historic church building. One worked well--large open spaces with lots of light and balcony railings around every wall for hanging quilts. It was fun. The other wasn't so effective. Rooms were not well lit and most were in small spaces where it was hard to get a good view of the quilts. Though the quilts in each show were probably equally beautiful, I have fond memories of one. The other one--not so much. : ) The setting does make a difference.

    ReplyDelete
  5. My favorite quilt show every year is the Aurora Colony show held in their museum buildings. Most of the quilts displayed are reproductions, old patterns in newer fabrics, or use repro fabrics. There are a few modern quilts but not a lot. Old quilts displayed in historic buildings - to me, that's the best quilt show ever!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Very interesting post. The Drill hall at the New York Armory is so very elaborate! They sure don't build them like that anymore. So glad that it was never destroyed and that it is being refurbished.

    I have only been to large venues in convention centers or small venues in school gymnasiums, small civic centers, etc. However, the smaller groups have tried to make their shows more "homey" by having vignettes in each little area and that has always helped. It would be great fun to attend a show like Aurora or Sisters - someday! :)

    Judy

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comments!