Join us for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes exploration of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum’s 18th and 19th century textile collection, including many never on public display. A companion to our Threaded Voices exhibition, Museum educators and guides Elizabeth O’Brien and Linda Pagliuco will share the histories behind the schoolgirls’ samplers, quilted and embroidered bedcovers, chair seats, hooked rugs, clothes, and accessories. These hand-stitched items were not only made to be useful, but they were skillfully and artistically created. In a time when educational opportunities for women and girls were limited, needle and thread became the primary way for their voices to be heard. These examples of functional art ask you to look beyond the surface to understand the visual stories told by these young girls and women.

Digging Deeper: Stories Told Through Needle and Thread will be offered at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Space is limited to 20 people for each time slot. The two-hour program includes the Threaded Voices exhibition and textile display in the Holcombe Education Center, the Silas Deane House, and the Isaac Stevens House. Some periods of prolonged standing and stair-walking will be required, with seating available before and after the house tours.

NSCDA-CT & Museum Members: $20 / General Public: $25. Purchase tickets HERE.