An exhibit displaying the natural beauty of national parks in a dramatically designed series of picturesque quilts opened Sunday in Will County after traveling the country for nearly three years.
Whether you are a quilter, a traveler, a nature lover, or even a staycationer, the “Inspired by the National Parks” quilt exhibition beckons.
It’s one free traveling show, over two weeks, at four centers, to see 59 parks and 177 quilts without ever leaving Will County.
The Forest Preserve District of Will County offers the only opportunity in Illinois to view this entire quilt exhibit that features all the national parks, with one exception — Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, which until February did not include national park as part of its official title.
Jessica Prince-Sharrar, environmental education supervisor for the forest preserve, a former park ranger and daughter of a quilter, was inspired to bring the show to the area after reading a review of the hardcover book that accompanies the exhibit and shares the same title.
The district launched an initiative three years ago to seek out temporary exhibits as a new avenue to draw people to the preserves and facilities, she said, adding that busloads of quilters have already booked trips to view the exhibit.
“People have an affinity for the national parks,” said Prince-Sharrar, who was busy hanging quilts from 19 parks at the Sugar Creek Administration Center.
People also will connect with the forest preserves, as they will have to travel to four different facilities to view all 177 quilts, which will be on display through July 3 at the Sugar Creek in Joliet, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township and Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville.
The project itself began in 2014 when Donna DeSoto, of Fairfax, Virginia, issued a challenge her fellow members of Quilters Unlimited to select one of the 59 parks to honor in celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary in 2016.
With three quilts per park, they creatively captured the beauty of the landscape, flora and fauna from Acadia in Maine to the Redwoods of California.
In vibrant colors and multiple dimensions are the mountains of Denali in Alaska, the bobcat of Arches National Park in Utah, the bison of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, and the striking flowers of Big Bend in Texas.
Each is a work of art — intended for hanging and not sleeping, for viewing and not touching.
They have been on the road since the first show in the fall of 2015 at the Houston International Quilt Festival, and will retire in November 2019, with a final exhibit at the Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville, Virginia. At that time, Prince-Sharrar said, the quilts will be donated, sold or returned to the artist.
Quilters are from all over the country, including one from Illinois, she said.
In Illinois, there have been partial exhibits in Springfield and Rockford, which is where Prince-Sharrar visited to see how it was handled. She booked the show over one year ago.
The quilts arrived in three oversized boxes — 18-by-24-inches — neatly folded and arranged in alphabetical order, by park name.
The forest preserve district had to cover the costs of shipping — to and from DeSoto’s home in Virginia, and provide the hooks and rods for hanging, and the white gloves for handling.
In distributing them to all four centers, district spokeswoman Cindy Cain said they tried to match some of the quilts with the facility itself. For example, national parks that feature water, such as Crater Lake, Hot Springs and the Everglades will be at Four Rivers.
Voyageurs National Park of Minnesota was a perfect fit at Isle a la Cache, the fur trading museum.
The salamander quilt from Canyonlands National Park is at Plum Creek because of its salamander mascot, Spot, while the bison quilt of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park is at Sugar Creek because of its proximity to Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie’s bison herd, Cain said.
Those who can’t make it to all four sites, or are looking for a specific national park, will find a complete list of which quilts will be featured at each center on the district’s website: www.reconnectwithnature.com.
Partnering with the forest preserve district, and serving as docents for the show, are three local quilt guilds — the Pride of the Prairie, of Plainfield, Pieces ‘n Patches, of Steger, and Pieces from the Heart in Morris.
Other exhibit partners include the Nature Foundation of Will County, the National Park Service, Thimbles Quilting Supplies of Lockport, Top Shelf Quilts of Frankfort and Roberts Sewing Center in Crest Hill.
Participants who travel to all four facilities — and have a card punched by a staff member at each — will receive their choice of a prize, a discount on the “Inspired by the National Parks” book, or a chance to enter a raffle for a basket of quilting and crafting supplies.
The book, which is also available for $30, features comment by each quilter and park staff member, as well as photos of every quilt.
The show is noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, at all four facilities, except for Four Rivers, which is closed on Saturdays.
More information is at www.reconnectwithnature.org.
