ST. JOSEPH -- The Quilt: The Art of Our Community exhibit at the College of St. Benedict displays work from area quilters, some with century old stories to tell.

Unlike convention style exhibits, the display allows you to touch and feel the artwork. Gallery manager, Jill Dubbeldee-Kuhn says quilters are tactile people. They like to touch and feel the texture.

The gallery provides plastic gloves for those that want to reach out and get a closer look at the artwork.

The quilts were selected for their unique designs but also the stories that each represented.

One woman was given an old chest from her mother-in-law. She was told that accepting the trunk meant she had to keep everything inside. She discovered a century old quilt at the bottom of the chest, so she decided to try and recreate the pattern from the original. Both are on display at the exhibit.

There are all kinds of quilts from hand made to machine quilted. People can participate in creating a community quilt which will be on display at Quiet Oaks Hospice. Dubbeldee-Kuhn says it's okay if you're new to quilting, you can still participate.

Many of the quilters do not identify themselves as artists. Dubbeldee-Kuhn says they will tell you it's their hobby, but they really are great artists that create beautiful works of art.

The exhibit is open to the public and will be on display now through April 1st from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

See a video of the quilt display below.

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