Red, white quilts boldly blanket New York

In New York, the American Folk Art Museum has dramatically transformed the Park Avenue Armory’s 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall with "Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts," an installation of 650 red and white American quilts.

On view March 25 to 30, this free exhibition is comprised of stunning quilts on loan from collector Joanna S. Rose who has also pledged to donate 50 of the quilts to the museum's permanent collection. It is the largest exhibition of quilts ever held in the city. View more photos of the exhibit at flickr, under hashtag #650quilts.

In response to the Folk Art Museum's display, quilt specialist Laura Fisher is presenting a diverse collection of red and white quilts at her gallery throughout the Spring. Fisher is known as the source for collectors and designers seeking two-color quilts.

"The color red in quilts is expressive, historic, even biblical in content," notes Fisher. "Among red and white quilts there are iterations of the two colors that can give clues to age. Earlier 19th century examples feature printed red fabrics with white, and some later 19th century quilts feature printed reds with printed white shirting cottons, as well as solid red."

Red and white used alone was a mostly 19th century phenomenon, later supplanted by the solid pastels and the pastel printed cottons of the 1930s Depression era.

Also available are antique textiles including coverlets and ticking in the same palette, says Fisher. Her gallery, Fisher Heritage, is open Mon-Fri., 10-4, and by appointment, at 305 East 61st Street.