Legacy

In 2022, the International Quilt Museum celebrated 25 years of the James Collection. To honor the legacy of Ardis and Robert James and their one-of-a-kind collection, the IQM produced three exhibitions that examined different areas of the couple's collecting efforts. Under the umbrella concept of "An Evolving Vision: The James Collection, 1997-2022," the exhibitions, "Classics," "From the Studio," and "New Horizons" presented quilts that told the story of the Jameses' holistic approach to building a collection. They assembled one of the best, most representative groups of antique American quilts. They collected from the top artists of the day, tapping expertise and guidance from those most knowledgeable about the burgeoning studio quilt field. And they made the initial steps toward acquiring quilts from every possible corner of the world. The legacy of the Jameses is a rich combination of tenacity, foresight, intuition, curiosity, and generosity—characteristics embodied by the incomparable collection they left for future generations to admire, steward, and learn from.