8/11: Lincoln State Capitol & International Quilt Museum

The day before, Steven and I had begun our two-month-long road trip from Denver as we headed east so we could explore more of the Midwest and Southeast. While planning our recently completed monthlong road trip to the Northwest, we thought it would be fun to see as many of the state capitals that we could without going too far out of the way. That was why we routed our trip first through Nebraska's capital city of Lincoln en route to our initial destination of Chicago. 

After driving for eight hours, we arrived in Lincoln in time for dinner on August 10th and set out to tour the capitol building the next morning. When Nebraska became a state in 1867, some people preferred a capital north of the Platte River with others wanting the capital to be south of the river. After the southside city of Lancaster with a population of just 30 was selected, it then changed its name to Lincoln. To reinforce their position, South Platters moved state documents and property in a snowstorm overnight from Omaha to Lincoln!

When the current state capitol was built using limestone from Indiana in 1922-23 after two territorial and state capitol buildings, it was the first statehouse design to divert so radically from the prototypical Capitol in Washington and to construct a functional office tower. The building was also one of the few "pay-as-you-go" state capitols. The soaring, 400-foot tall tower made the Nebraska capitol the second tallest in the nation after Louisiana's. 

The tower was topped by a 19-foot tall bronze figure of The Sower that represented the importance of agriculture. Since Nebraska is such a flat state, the tower acted like a beacon as it could be seen up to twenty miles away!

We read that the exterior stone carvings represented historic events in the 3,000 year history of democracy as a form of government.

Inside, the lobby's stunning floor depicted nature and society.

We were further wowed by the building's interior upon seeing the ceiling that had been made of stunning mosaics that made us feel as if we'd been transported to Europe.

Unfortunately, the Legislative Chamber was closed because of Covid-19 but at least we could peer inside.

It didn't appear the elevator had changed from almost a century earlier as it had the original historic interior!

It was fun wandering around the entire top of the capitol to get a sense of what Lincoln looked like from lofty heights. One view was of Centennial Mall which connected to the University of Nebraska and federal and state office buildings.

After returning to the foyer, we spent some time admiring the monumental wall murals that had been planned to be included in the Memorial Chamber until the Great Depression made that impossible. When they were finally painted by Nebraskan Stephen Roberts in 1996, they completed the "original thematic program."

The mural The Ideal of Universal Peace honored those who had chosen a military career and dedicated their lives to the US' continued strength and stability. The children were included in the mural to symbolize the future and to remember the need to maintain peace and justice.

The Scourge of Plague depicted health care professionals rendering care symbolizing those dedicating their lives to serve people in need and also scientific researchers looking for cures to diseases.

The Scourge of Famine represented Nebraskans always wanting to help their neighbors and community when emergencies arise.

The Ideal of International Law honored the generations of its state citizens who have served in the military from WW I to the present.

The Perils of Fire recognized the service and devotion by all emergency personnel who daily risk their lives for the sake of others.

The Ideal of Freedom recognized how the state and nation had gone to war to achieve slaves' freedom and remove "tyrants and dictators who fail to respect the rights of their peoples."

Being a relatively new fan of murals, I was very impressed with the ones in Lincoln's state capitol as they told a story of the state's history.

The ceiling's mosaics which, like the floor also depicted nature and society, were positively stunning! If I had to choose my favorite interior feature, I think the vibrant ceilings even surpassed the murals for me and that says a lot. If you ever find yourself on the Nebraska prairie, I hope you'll take an hour or so and walk around the state capitol building as we did. I know you won't be disappointed.

From the capitol we headed to the International Quilt Study Center and Museum as we're always on the lookout for something a little quirky and this sure fit the bill! Amazingly, the world's largest publicly held collection of quilts was in Lincoln of all places, though I sure had nothing against the Nebraskan capital!

At first glance, I thought the darning needles were arranged to form a clock, but no, they were simply a wall decoration!

In this display, the Quilt House recognized quilt guilds from around the country who had supported the museum. 

Cheryl and Adam: I thought of each of you when I noticed the Salt Creek Quilters Guild from your hometown of Western Springs on the top left below!

When quilts arrive at the museum, either for the first time or following being displayed elsewhere, I read they are isolated for two weeks to eliminate the presence of pests. If there are further concerns, the quilts might be frozen to temperatures at 40 degrees below zero to kill any bugs or larvae that could infect the rest of the collection. Sorry if that's a case of TMI!

Quilts were only displayed for a maximum of one out of every ten years to minimize the amount of light exposure and reduce the wear and tear from hanging. The quilts were refolded every two or three years to prevent creases and fold lines from permanently damaging them. Each time, they were deliberately refolded along different lines.

We first viewed an interesting exhibition titled Glasnost & Folk Culture: Russian Quilts at the Turn of the 21st Century. I certainly never thought of the concept of glasnost, i.e. the Soviets' new policy of openness and transparency, in terms of new cultural exchanges with the US like quiltmaking. Though Russians had been familiar with applique techniques, the concept that quilts were meant to be placed on a wall instead of a bed was still a new idea to them. 

In 1994, three American quilt teachers were invited to Russia by a women's group. There, they shared their knowledge and dozens of yards of fabric they'd brought with them as they knew everyday supplies were especially scarce and pricey in post-Soviet Russia.

After the exchange, the Russian students continued making quilts and began selling them in the late 1990s in the US with the assistance of cultural exchange groups. The exhibit showed quilts with American influences but uniquely Russian imagery. 

I particularly liked seeing the Matryoshka or Little Matron quilt as it portrayed the set of wooden nesting figures that had been first carved in 1890 by a well-known Russian folk artist. Though originally painted to look like women in folk dress, when Steven and I were in Russia on our first overseas trip together in 2013 we saw hundreds of matryoshka dolls but most were of internationally famous politicians, musicians and athletes. What a hoot it was then seeing President Obama in a set of the famous nesting dolls!

Another exhibit focused on artists who felt their "hearts beating to the rhythm of the Earth" upon seeing the environment changing due to climate change and global pollution. Even though they felt some people may deny or look away from the changes, these artists wanted to express their pain as what they see as being destroyed and possibly lost forever on planet Earth. 

Since the stringent shelter-in-place orders due to Covid-19, you may also have heard about the unintended silver linings: clear views of LA skyscrapers with the reduction in smog; the snowcapped Himalayas visible for the first time in decades; wildlife roaming streets; and the Eiffel Tower clearly seen from Paris suburbs.

The show was guest curated by our almost hometown Boulder, Colorado native Luana Rubin, the president and co-owner of eQuilter.com, an online fabric retailer. Putting her money where her beliefs are, her company has donated almost two million dollars over twenty years to charities focused on human rights and the environment.

How sad Mother Earth looked as portrayed by a French artist. The piece was made using cotton and appliques. 

An Australian artist had created She Matters: Rwandan Mountain Gorilla from cotton, metallic thread, and rayon that had been dyed, collaged, quilted, and painted. For several years now after hearing hearing about Rwanda's beautiful gorillas, the country's has been on our list of countries we hope to visit. 

I found the environmental quilt collection to be quite riveting in the sense that I would never previously have associated quilting to be in the 'political' sphere. For me, curator Rubin definitely succeeded in her hope that the quilts would touch our hearts as the quilters told their stories. 

Fiber artist Nancy Crow, a leader in contemporary quiltmaking since the 1970s, wrote that she considered her monoprints to be her self portraits. "The tangles of lines represented her constant anxiety and daydreams with the masses of parallel lines equaling elusive calmness."

I loved how the museum made us think of quilting in a different manner altogether and that it got us out of our comfort zone. Even Steven seemed to really enjoy the International Quilt Museum even though he had been less than enthused when I suggested we stop there before leaving Lincoln!

Next post: On to another state capital, Des Moines, Iowa, later the same day.

Posted on January 12th, 2020, from sunny Phoenix where we've come to escape the winter doldrums for a couple of weeks after first visiting several state and national parks in Utah and Nevada. I hope that you and your loved ones are safe, connected and healthy.