The Old State House Museum is pleased to announce that its latest exhibit, “A Piece of My Soul: Quilts by Black Arkansans” is now open.

Back by popular demand, “A Piece of My Soul” will immerse museum goers in the rich cultural legacy of African American quilt makers in Arkansas.

The exhibit pulls from the museum’s extensive collection of more than 200 black-made quilts dating from 1890 to the present.

These quilts are an important part of Arkansas’s history. Through their patterns, material, stitching, and family oral histories, these special bedcovers reveal the stories of the women — and men — who made them.

The oldest quilts in the collection were made out of necessity and with limited resources, but have become the pride of family members. Practical yet beautiful blankets were produced in an atmosphere of enjoyment and companionship as family members gathered together after other chores were completed.

“A Piece of My Soul” will be on display at the Old State House Museum through fall 2019.