COLUMBIA - While 2021 marked Missouri's bicentennial, a celebration of 200 years of statehood, the celebration has continued into 2022.
Around 300 events were put on across the state by the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) to celebrate the occasion. One project which has continued into 2022 was the Bicentennial Quilt, specifically its Final Tour.
The quilt has been in Columbia for 6 weeks and moves to St. Louis on Feb. 1. Friday, Jan. 27 is the last time to see it in Columbia.
The Bicentennial Quilt was created as a way to commemorate 200 years of statehood and bring together all parts of the state. The quilt features individual blocks for the 114 counties in Missouri and the city of St. Louis.
Beth Pike, bicentennial coordinator for SHSMO, said they thought the quilt could be something that could be shared among all Missourians. The creators also looked at history and the role textiles have played in Missouri's history.
"We're such a diverse state, you can look at different regions, and we're so diverse in our geography and our people and our culture," she said, "And, you know, Missouri is at such a crossroads of so many different times of our history and our culture."
The quilt was made in partnership with the Missouri Quilters Guild and the Missouri Star Quilt Company. After the quilt completes its final tour, it will be on a long-term loan at the Missouri Quilt Museum in Hamilton.
Pike said she has seen the quilt bring nostalgia to the faces of people who have come to visit it.
"I think it kind of brings us back to those times, and it also makes us think about our neighbors too," she said. "And that's something we're all having to do, just not think about ourselves, but our neighbors right now as we get through this pandemic."
The SHSMO in Columbia is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, the last day the quilt will be on display. Viewing the quilt is free, and the SHSMO also offers an art gallery and bicentennial informational mural.
The quilt will be available for viewing at the Historical Society's six locations across the state until September 2022:
- Feb. 1–March 11: SHSMO St. Louis Research Center
- March 15–April 29: SHSMO Cape Girardeau Research Center
- May 3–June 14: SHSMO Rolla Research Center
- June 15-July 29: SHSMO Springfield Research Center
- Aug. 2–Sept. 15: SHSMO Kansas City Research Center