Glee Krueger, Expert On Historic American Samplers, To Lecture At Mattatuck Museum Sampler Symposium

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Oct 24, 2008 12:00 am

WATERBURY â The Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center will host a daylong sampler symposium on Wednesday, October 29, from 9 am to 3:30 pm. The symposium is designed to increase awareness of the significance of samplers as records of important events, and to teach owners how to care for these fragile textiles.

Featured will be lectures by Glee Krueger, author and renowned folk art and needlework scholar, and Kate Barker, field service director at the Textile Conservation Workshop; and a trip to the Litchfield Historical Society to view their collection of needlework pictures from the Litchfield Female Academy.

The public and representatives of area historical societies are invited to bring samplers from their collections for documentation in a regional needlework database. The symposium is sponsored, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Samplers were originally stitched by young women to practice embroidery for clothing, patterns, decorative ornamentation, and monograms on household textiles. The stitching of a sampler taught lettering, design, pictorial composition, and moral values. The Mattatuck Museum collection includes 25 samplers and silk embroideries created between 1787 and 1844 by young girls aged 9 to 20 who lived in northwest Connecticut before the Civil War. These daughters of farmers, patriots, tavern-keepers, clock-makers, and entrepreneurs lived in nearby farming towns and trading centers.The museumâs samplers will be on view during the symposium.

Kate Barker, one of the countryâs leading textile conservation centers, will present the dayâs opening lecture with an illustrated program about the care of historic needlework. Her presentation will include a discussion of what private collectors and local historical societies can do to preserve their samplers.

Glee Krueger, a renowned folk art and needlework scholar and author, will then lecture on the distinctive forms of samplers created in northwest Connecticut.

Following lunch, participants will travel to Litchfield Historical Society (on their own) to view the societyâs collection of needlework from Litchfield Female Academy. The Academy, established in 1792 by Sarah Pierce, was one of the first major educational institutions for women in the United States. Students produced unique decorative needlework pictures, combining silks and chenille with watercolor on silk to create pictures with allegorical themes.

Cost for the symposium is $15, which includes the lectures, lunch, and viewing of the Mattatuck and Litchfield Historical Society collections. Travel from Waterbury to Litchfield is to be taken care of by participants.

For more information or to register contact Suzie Fateh at SFateh@MattatuckMuseum.org or call 203-753-0381 extension12.

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The Editor suggest a meeting between the "Rock This Democracy " and the Police Commission. As a former Police Commissioner the Chief should have followed the chain of command and discussed this with the Police Commission. The Chief reports to the Elected Police Commission not our Republican First Selection. Can't help but feel this is Republican politics again making an issue out of a non issue.

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I support Chief Kullgren’s request to explore permitting, and cost-sharing for large gatherings. The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I fully support the constitutional right to free speech and assembly. However, where and how often these protests occur matters. Main Street is not just a symbol — it’s a vital artery for daily life in town. When events are held there monthly, and at increasing scale, they cause disruption to residents, businesses, and traffic. While the Rock This Democracy group may describe these protests as unique or urgent, the frequency — roughly once every two weeks this spring — suggests more of a recurring series than a singular, spontaneous moment of civic expression. This isn’t about silencing anyone. It’s about fairness, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Every time a protest happens, our police department is forced to assign resources, often on overtime. That expense adds up quickly. If any group wants to use public space regularly, particularly in a way that impacts traffic and requires police presence, then it’s reasonable for the town to consider permitting and cost-sharing — just as we do for other organized events like races, festivals, or parades. Let’s protect everyone’s rights — including the right of the community to function smoothly and the right of taxpayers not to bear undue cost for repeated events. I trust the Council to consider a reasonable path forward that balances speech with responsibility.

David, your passion for transparency would carry more weight if it weren’t routinely wielded like a cudgel. Let's set the record straight: no one is against easier access to documents or better online availability—we all want an informed public. But there's a difference between constructive advocacy and the kind of grandstanding that costs this town time, morale, and taxpayer money. You cite Ridgefield’s practices—great. Let's talk about that like adults. But instead, what we see is a steady stream of accusatory posts, legal challenges, and FOIA blitzes aimed less at solving problems and more at creating headlines. It’s not “slander” to point out that your approach often does more to divide and exhaust than to help. I’ve been at the very meetings you claim are inaccessible or opaque. I’ve seen your group turn logistical hiccups into conspiracy theories. I’ve watched as staff—who already work overtime—are dragged into another fishing expedition while real civic needs are left hanging. You’re not just pushing for access; you’re using the tools of open government to grind its gears to a halt. That’s not progress. That’s obstruction dressed up as advocacy. And the people paying for it—literally—are your neighbors. Let’s stop pretending it’s just about uploading PDFs. The issue here is how we engage. We can have real conversations about modernization without constant accusations, FOIA skirmishes, and Facebook pile-ons. Until then, I’ll continue to call out tactics that undermine, not uplift, our town.

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Its really easy to make assertions and cast doubts from behind a keyboard....a little too easy aparently. You might try conducting the actual research BEFORE doing it next time. If you do, you too will find that there's no need to imagine such a policy to improve public transparency and participation. Take a look at Ridgefield's P&Z meeting agendas on their website for starters. They are just one town that provide links to electronic copies of applications and other public documents, so that their commissioners and residents can easily access them and be well-informed, before meetings and public hearings occur and without making them drive to town hall (during business hours) to ask their land use staff to pull the files and make copies of them, saving everyone time (time is money), and gasoline, and missed work. Most applicants alrleady submit electronic copies, and for those who don't, it's a lot easier for a staffer to scan them once, than to have to make copies every time someone asks for them. And please don't misrepresent or slander those who advocate for smart, low impact & sustainable development policies and practices as 'anti-development'.

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Glee Krueger, Expert On Historic American Samplers, To Lecture At Mattatuck Museum Sampler Symposium

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