Monday, July 25, 2011

Merry Silber

Merry called this quilt Rose in the Window. It was made c1860
and was donated to the MSU Museum in 1995.
Merry Silber passed away on July 24, 2011. She was a great friend to the MSU Museum and the Great Lakes Quilt Center. Through the encouragement of her daughter, respected quilt dealer Julie Silber,  and the support of her husband Al, Merry began collecting quilts in the 1970s. Starting in the mid 1980s she began donating quilts to the MSU Museum. In all, she donated more than 35 quilts, tops, and pieces. You can see the collection at http://museum.msu.edu/glqc/collections_sample_silber.html. You can learn about her involvement with the MSU Museum at: http://museum.msu.edu/glqc/collections_special_silber.html. Her interest in quilts included judging shows, producing shows and appraising quilts. She encouraged quilt owners to document their quilts with the Michigan Quilt Project and was responsible for other quilts being donated to the MSU Museum. A few years ago, Merry was interviewed and filmed for the The Alliance for American Quilts, Quilt Treasures project. You can see her interview here: http://www.allianceforamericanquilts.org/treasures/main.php?id=5-16-B. 


I will miss Merry, but am happy I got to know her.

Till next time....Happy Quilting

5 comments:

  1. Her shows at the mall in Troy (?)in the early '80's where so impressive to me as a beginning quilter. She was a gift.
    Phyllis

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  2. Thank you for all the great links to information about Merry. What a gift to the quilt world she was!

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  3. Beth, Merry appraised the first antique quilts I ever had appraised when she was here for that purpose at a CCQG quilt show -- I think it was held at Kellogg Center. Very knowledgable and likeable woman. Daisy

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  4. Thank you for sharing what Merry did for the quilting community.

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  5. You are so fortunate to have known Merry Silber, and I'm envious. Something tells me I'll see a lot of Merry in her lovely daughter, Julie, whenever I'm fortunate enough to finally meet her.

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