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Piecing the History of Muskegon County’s Rosie Lee Wilkins

A new exhibit at the Lakeshore Museum Center aims to highlight quilts crafted by one dedicated woman. This exhibit will showcase a Muskegon woman who was well-known in the quilting world, but not recognized in her own community. The museum will be displaying the work of the late Rosie Lee Wilkins in Who is Rosie Lee Wilkins– Piecing Together Her History.

“I was inspired to research Rosie after realizing just how few people knew the story of this amazing woman,” said Collections Manager, Brenda Nemetz. “Parts of her history are still unrecorded and I think that’s what made the process so interesting. To many, pieces of her life were enigmatic.”

Lakeshore Museum Center will display just a fraction of the 100 quilts sewn by Wilkins herself. However, the quilts are only a small patch of Wilkins’ story, as visitors will find out. In addition to displaying some of Rosie’s work, the museum staff will share just how they managed to uncover so much of her history.

The exhibit opens on November 9 and will continue through April 24, 2021, which visitors can enjoy at no additional cost. Museum admission is $5.00 for non-Muskegon County residents and free to those who live in the area as well as museum members. Guests may tour the exhibit during regular business hours, social distancing and masks are expected.

For more information about Lakeshore Museum Center events or exhibits, visit their website or call 231.722.0278.

About Lakeshore Museum Center
Since 1937, the Lakeshore Museum Center has explored, preserved, and interpreted the history of Muskegon County through historic exhibits, education and cultural-based programs, and special events and presentations for all ages. The Center is comprised of multiple sites and buildings including the Hackley & Hume Historic Site, the Fire Barn Museum, and the Scolnik House of the Depression Era.