The Quilt Show is sad to report the passing of Quilters Hall of Fame member Ruth B. McDowell. Ruth passed on June 23rd, 2024 following a brief illness. Ruth was "a pioneer and visionary in the contemporary art quilt movement and lifelong appreciator of the natural world." Her loss is deeply felt throughout the quilting community and The Quilt Show sends its condolences to the McDowell family.

Here is a statement on Ruth's passing from her family:

"This is Ruth’s daughters Emily and Leah. We are saddened to share with you all that Ruth passed away last week after a brief illness.

This spring, we began working on a new site that showcased her remaining quilts available for acquisition, as well as an online retrospective of her 50-plus year career as a pioneer and visionary in the contemporary art quilt movement. That site is now live at ruthbmcdowell.com.

Ruth very much wanted her vast collection of printed commercial quilt fabrics to be distributed to other quilters and artists who would use them in their own work. If you live in the continental US, you may request a box to be sent to you, free of charge, at ruthbmcdowell.com.

We are so grateful to all of Ruth’s fans, students, champions, and collectors for your support over the last fifty years. Ruth’s public memorial will take place in late October in the Boston area, and we’ll share more details as it gets closer."

Click Here to read Ruth's obituary.

Click Here to learn Ruth's life and career from her entry into The Quilters Hall of Fame.

Click Here, or the image below, to visit Ruth's website and learn about her quilts.