A Landmark Collection on View: Warmth, Comfort, Style, Fashion & Fine Art: Quilts from the Pilgrim/Roy Collection at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts

Cedarburg, Wis. – The Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition, Warmth, Comfort, Style, Fashion & Fine Art: Quilts from the Pilgrim/Roy Collection, on view from March 13 through May 31, 2026. This landmark exhibition celebrates the extraordinary quilt collection of Gerald Roy and the late Paul Pilgrim—one of the most influential private collections of American quilts in the United States.

At its height, the Pilgrim/Roy Collection encompassed more than 1,500 quilts and played a foundational role in shaping how quilts are understood, studied, and appreciated as works of art. Pilgrim and Roy, both gallery owners, antique dealers, and trained artists, approached quilts not as craft objects but as powerful expressions of color, design, and artistic intention—made primarily by women. Guided by their keen artistic sensibility and influenced by Josef Albers’ theories of color, they recognized the modern artistry within historic quilts. As Roy famously recalled, upon seeing his first Amish quilt: “What is a Josef Albers’ painting doing hanging on a clothesline?”

Their innovative collecting philosophy prioritized the “mark of the maker”—evidence of creative decision-making, experimentation, and individuality. The resulting collection reveals 19th-century quilt makers as bold and sophisticated artists, often anticipating the visual language of 20th-century Abstract Expressionism and Color Field painting. Pilgrim and Roy were also instrumental in establishing the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, further cementing their legacy in the field.

Presented at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts, this exhibition invites visitors to experience quilts as objects of warmth and comfort—and as enduring works of style, fashion, and fine art. Featuring over thirty quilts from the Pilgrim/Roy Collection, the exhibition marks a significant moment: at its conclusion, these works will become a permanent part of the Museum’s collection. A fully illustrated catalogue, with essays by Gerald Roy and Senior Curator Emily Schlemowitz, will accompany the show.

Support for this exhibition is provided by the Antiquarian Society of Wisconsin and Judy Hearst—Coldwell Banker Realty.