It’s International Museum Day: Learn How Museums Are Uniting a Divided World

Uniting a Divided World

Each year on May 18, we celebrate International Museum Day, a global event organized by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This year’s theme is “Museums Uniting a Divided World” and highlights the role museums play in bringing people together. According to ICOM, museums don’t aim to eliminate differences; instead, they provide the space for those differences to be recognized, understood, and respected.

International Museum Day is also a time to remember and appreciate all the dedicated curators, conservators, researchers, volunteers, and makers who care for collections and share them with the public.

Visit an Exhibition

This year, celebrate International Museum Day by visiting a museum, exploring an online collection, or attending a special exhibition. If you want to find museum activities happening in your area during the week-long festivities, you can browse ICOM’s interactive map that lists all participating cultural institutions. And here are just a few of our recommendations from the many wonderful needlework related exhibitions on view now:

American Folk Art Museum: Folk Nation: Crafting Patriotism in the United States

Bower's Museum: The American Quilt: Cloth and Commerce

Buck's Museum: Sew Dainty: The Art of Tiny Stitches

Cleveland Art Museum: Ancient Andean Textiles

Denver Art Museum, Avenir Institute of Textile Arts and Fashion: Conversation Pieces: Stories from the Fashion Archives

Minneapolis Institute of Art: An Indigenous Art: Huipiles from Mia’s Collection

Textile Museum of Canada: Made By Many: 50 Years of the Textile Museum of Canada

Guatemala woman's ceremonial blouse (huipil), circa 1900, silk, cotton; discontinuous supplementary weft patterning, appliqué, embroidery. Gift of Richard L. Simmons in memory of Roberta G. Simmons, 95.116.17. From the exhibition An Indigenous Art. Photo courtesy the Minneapolis Institue of Art

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International Needlework Museum Directory

Just in time for International Museum Day, PieceWork is proud to announce its online International Needlework Museum Directory, offering a new, searchable database of global textile and costume collections. We assembled this list to guide you in your enjoyment of textile collections around the world as you research, travel, and deepen your love of cloth.

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Enjoy the celebration!

Karen