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Sleeping in Style: Textiles for the Bedroom

A A A Comments By Ben Palosaari Wednesday, Dec 10 2008

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The way in which people sleep says a lot about their culture. The Minneapolis Institute of Arts' bedding exhibit, "Style: Textiles for the Bedroom," explores this concept. It compiles blankets, bedcovers, and bedroom items from nations and cultures across the globe to bring viewers new perspectives on our common need for sleep. Items on display include an American cotton blanket sewn with a dazzling star pattern, an intricately stitched 17th-century Norwegian tapestry titled "The Wise and Foolish Virgins" that will really give you something to think about after you hit the hay, and a vividly colored 19th-century Tunisian blanket. So in the name of furthering this examination of bedroom stuff, I would be more than happy to offer select artifacts from my bed through the years. The MIA is welcome to my set of Ghostbusters sheets with terrifying scenes of ghosts, compete with a glow-in-the-dark pillowcase (thinking about that now, those sheets seem designed to prevent children from sleeping). I also offer my Spider-Man fleece blanket, worn thin from constant use as a shawl. So, call me, MIA curators, if you want to add these fine pieces to your permanent collection.
Dec. 6-May 31, 2008

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