Community Events

IHQS is proud to partner with local organizations in Bloomington to present off-site events during our show.

Our 2024 show offered these partnerships:

Farmer House Museum

In 1999, Mary Ellen Farmer left her historic 1869 house to the community of Bloomington, along with her possessions, to be a museum dedicated to community, family and the history of ordinary life. The Farmer House Museum seeks to preserve and interpret family life in Monroe County, Indiana. By promoting a dialogue with the past, the museum hopes to inspire the public to appreciate and understand the human forces that have shaped our community.

The Farmer House Museum will be showing quilts and other textiles from its permanent collection and from local artists.

Hours:
Thursday: 12pm - 6pm
Friday: 5pm - 9pm
Saturday: 12pm - 6pm
Sunday: 1pm - 5pm

Location: 529 N. College Ave, Bloomington, IN 47404 (near the corner of N. College and 10th Street)
Get directions.
Admission is free and open to the public.

Accessibility: The museum is located in a building built in 1869. Unfortunately, there is a step up to get into the museum. Please contact the director at (812) 336-5597 to discuss alternate ways to enjoy the collection.

Monroe County History Center

Join us at the Monroe County History Center for a talk by Dr. Tony Jean Dickerson.

Black Quilters: Hard Topics, Soft Blows
Saturday, March 2 from 1:00pm - 2:30pm

The lecture is a part of the Advancing Racial Equity Speakers Bureau supported by Indiana Humanities.

Arts hold a vital place of importance in our society. Quilts, often seen as "women's work" and "sheer arts and crafts" by some, actually have a prominent place in telling the struggles and triumphs of many cultures. Moreover, the African American community has fought to tell its stories and quilts have been used as an important vehicle to tell these stories. From individuals and guilds alike, the artistry of African American quilters can no longer be denied as frontrunners of the quilting scene.

Dr. Tony Jean Dickerson (she/her) was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has earned degrees from Lincoln University, University of Central Missouri, and University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 2019, after a successful thirty-year career in education, she earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Kansas. She returned home in 2017 and became the lead faculty for Martin University’s School of Education’s Teacher Preparation Program in June of 2022. Besides teaching, Dr. Dickerson is a nationally recognized quilter and is a member of 8 local and national quilt guilds including the founding president of the Akoma Ntoso Modern Quilt Guild of Central Indiana. She will be bringing quilts to illustrate her lecture.

The Monroe County History Center is located 202 E. 6th Street, Bloomington, IN 47408.
Regular Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Phone: (812) 332-2517
Get directions.
Admission is free with an IHQS hand stamp or wrist band.

WONDERLAB MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND TECHNOLOGY

WonderLab will be showing quilts made by local members of the Bloomington Quilters Guild (BQG) Community Program. BQG members donate their time and fabrics to make quilts that are then given to charitable organizations in the Bloomington area. In turn, each organization distributes these creations to those who are in need of cozy comfort. From babies to the elderly, quilts find their way to homes built by Habitat for Humanity, as well as those in need of hospice care. Currently over a dozen facilities are served. To learn more, visit BloomingtonQuiltersGuild.org. New members are always welcome.

Admission will be waived for those showing proof of quilt show attendance. WonderLab does have not designated parking and recommends the nearby 4th Street garage (corner of W. 4th and S. Walnut Street). It’s also an easy walk from the Monroe Convention Center via the B-Line Trail.
Hours:
Tuesday - Thursday: 9am - 6pm
Friday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm
Sunday: 1pm - 5pm. Closed on Mondays.
Location: 308 West 4th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
Get directions.
Phone: (812) 337-1337

WYLIE HOUSE MUSEUM

Wylie House Museum is the historic 1835 home of Andrew Wylie, the first president of Indiana University. It is part of IU Libraries, serving as an academic resource as well as a public heritage site. Wylie House is delighted to once again participate as an IHQS community partner. Please visit and enjoy a selection of the museum’s antique quilt collection on display throughout the home.

Hours: Wednesday – Saturday: 10am - 4pm
Location: 307 E. 2nd St., Bloomington, IN 47401
Get directions.
Contact: (812) 855-6224 or email libwylie@iu.edu.
Admission is free and open to the public.

Accessibility: Wylie House offers one accessible parking space and a ramp entryway, but the second floor is only accessible via a staircase. Digital images and a virtual tour from the first floor are available for those who cannot visit the second floor.

Explore Bloomington

Visit Bloomington also has lots of information on what to do and see while you're in town.