CINCINNATI, OH.- Indigo and the Art of Quiltmaking comes to the Taft Museum of Art (October 4, 2025–January 11, 2026). Twenty quilts will showcase a range of indigo dyeing techniques as well as the skill, design sensibility, and artistry of the women who made them. Indigo and the Art of Quiltmaking is organized by the International Quilt Museum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, home to the largest public collection of quilts in the world.

For thousands of years, people around the world have treasured indigo-dyed textiles for their dreamy shades of blue—from pale sky to inky midnight—and resistance to fading. Indigo and the Art of Quiltmaking explores this rich global tapestry of historical and artistic significance through quilts created between the early 1800s to 2015, from America 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 (American, born about 1878); Patchwork Quilt (Nigeria, about 2010); and Mirage Quilt (2014) by Shizuko Kuroha (Japanese, 1938–2024), each reflecting the maker’s heritage and cross-cultural influences on indigo dyeing.

“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. 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,” says Taft Museum of Art Assistant Curator, Angela Fuller, who is curating the museum's presentation of the exhibition.

The exhibition run includes several opportunities to learn from regional artists and quiltmakers through workshops, demonstrations, family days, and a “Stitch ‘n’B*tch” night at the museum. Visitors can also enjoy curator tours led by assistant curator, Angela Fuller, on October 15 and December 17. The exhibition's Signature Talk on October 23—Many Hands Make Light the Work: Indigo and Quilting in South Carolina—will feature Virginia Theerman, Curator of Historic Textiles at the Charleston Museum.