Taft Museum spotlights 200 years of indigo quiltmaking

Centuries of quiltmaking and the deep-blue legacy of indigo dye will come together this fall in a new exhibition at the Taft Museum of Art.

The show, “Indigo and the Art of Quiltmaking,” opens Oct. 4 and runs through Jan. 11, 2026. The International Quilt Museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln organized the exhibition, which features 20 quilts that showcase a range of indigo dyeing techniques and quiltmaking traditions from around the world.

Quiltmakers produced the works between the early 1800s and 2015, with pieces from the United States, Nigeria, Japan, and beyond. Highlights include “Whole Cloth Quilt with ‘Flying Geese’ Border” (possibly Hudson River Valley, New York, 1820–1840); “String Squares Quilt” (about 1925) by Rella Thompson; “Patchwork Quilt” (Nigeria, about 2010); and “Mirage Quilt” (2014) by Shizuko Kuroha of Japan.

“This exhibition highlights the intricate designs and incredible sewing skills of women textile artists through the lens of indigo, one of the oldest and most coveted dyes in the world,” said Angela Fuller, the Taft’s assistant curator. “Museum visitors will learn about how quilts are made, different ways of dyeing cloth with indigo, and how indigo’s fascinating history continues today – clothing manufacturers still use it to give blue jeans their distinctive color.”

Beyond the exhibition, the Taft Museum will offer related programs including artist demonstrations, workshops, family days and a “Stitch ‘n’ B*tch” night. Fuller will lead curator tours on Oct. 15 and Dec. 17. On Oct. 23, the museum will host a Signature Talk, “Many Hands Make Light the Work: Indigo and Quilting in South Carolina,” featuring Virginia Theerman, curator of historic textiles at the Charleston Museum.

General admission to the exhibit is free for Taft members, military personnel and youth 17 and under; $15 for adults; and $12 for seniors. All visitors receive free admission on Sundays and Mondays.

Indigo and the Art of Quilt making