The mission of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and educate the public about quilts; honor quiltmaking traditions; and embrace the evolution of the art and craft of quilting.
The mission of the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum is to celebrate people and their stories, to honor quiltmaking traditions, and to embrace the evolution of the art and craft of quilting.
The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum (RMQM) was the dream of long-time Golden resident, Eugenia Mitchell, an intensely frugal and very creative individual who had little use for convention. Eugenia was a passionate quilter and a quilt collector who haunted thrift stores and antique shops in search of treasure. At age 80, she decided that her quilts should be preserved and seen by the public. A museum was needed. Sporting her trademark head-to-toe quilted clothing, Eugenia worked for nine years, holding trunk shows, giving lectures, teaching classes, and talking to anyone who would listen in order to acquire enough money and support to start a quilt museum. The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum opened to the public in 1990 with 101 of Eugenia's quilts as the foundation for the museum's collection.
The museum has grown steadily since its opening in one room containing the exhibit, the gift shop, and storage. In July 2009 the museum and gift shop moved into the 1909 Ashworth Building at 1213 Washington Avenue in historic downtown Golden, Colorado. Most recently in 2015, the museum realized a longtime goal and is now the proud owner of a new building located at 200 Violet Street, Suite 140 & 150 in Golden. The museum hosts quarterly exhibits, tailored tours, and programs for adults and youth. The Sandra Dallas Library contains over 6000 volumes featuring out-of-print literature, technique resources, historic patterns and research documents. The museum's permanent collection currently contains more than 850 quilts, ranging from early bed covers to contemporary art quilts.
The Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum is the only museum in the Rocky Mountain region that is solely dedicated to preserving and promoting the quilter's art form.
