Each year, artists, collectors, experts and historians offer one-hour talks on a variety of topics, ranging from a historical presentation to a technical description of their work or a testimonial.
Enriching, enthralling and entertaining, the European Patchwork Meeting conferences are a privileged opportunity to exchange ideas, in the quiet of the projection room. The majority of lectures are given in French, but some are also available in other languages, at the Théâtre de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, on the second floor.
The room has a capacity of 100 seats.
New in 2024: lectures are free of charge, but subject to availability. Seats cannot be booked in advance.
Take a look below at the schedule of conferences proposed for the next European Patchwork Meeting and book the one(s) that interest(s) you to enjoy a timeless moment around a subject that fascinates you!
The lecture program will be announced as the event approaches. To keep up-to-date on the latest news, join the community on social media or sign up for the event newsletter at the bottom of this page.
2 P.M. | Origines et développement du mouvement amish
David Bouvier, Département Archives et Patrimoine du Val d’Argent
Language: 
| Duration: 1h15
Known for its austere lifestyle in the USA, the Amish community has its origins in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. It was founded in 1693 by Jakob Ammann, in reaction to the loose morals of the local Anabaptists. A richly illustrated slide show tells the story of the birth and development of the Amish community, amidst the incredible religious patchwork of the Val d’Argent.
4 P.M. | Deux regards sur les quilts
Dominique Husson and Gabrielle Paquin
Language: | Duration: 1h
Dominique Husson and Gabrielle Paquin, founders of “Quilt en rêve”, offer a reflection on their journey, empathy and feeling in the research and implementation of their quilts, ranging from the 19th to the early 20th century, as well as the different techniques specific to each of them.
10 A.M. | Modernité Amish
Jacques Légeret
Language: | Duration: 1h15
Isn’t it incongruous to speak of Amish “modernity” when these communities still live by rules established in the 17th and 18th centuries?
Tired of hearing repeated prejudices about the Amish, Jacques Légeret will show, with the help of often unpublished images, where Amish “modernity” nestles…. especially in their quilts!
11:15 A.M. | Aesthetic and political principles in African-American quilts
Lauren Austin
Language: 
| Duration: 1h
This conference will be a recounting of the cultural and political aesthetic roots of Lauren Austin’s quilts, with details on her technique and intentions, but mostly linking her work with contemporary African American art.
In her works, she pays tribute to her ancestors, family, and friends, employing a blend of diverse techniques, including hand-dyeing, printing, and painting on fabric. Her quilted portraits depict facets of black life. Her works serve as a witness of African American art in the USA in the last decades.
2 P.M. | Origines et développement du mouvement amish
David Bouvier, Département Archives et Patrimoine du Val d’Argent
Language: | Duration: 1h15
Known for its austere lifestyle in the USA, the Amish community has its origins in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. It was founded in 1693 by Jakob Ammann, in reaction to the loose morals of the local Anabaptists. A richly illustrated slide show tells the story of the birth and development of the Amish community, amidst the incredible religious patchwork of the Val d’Argent.
4 P.M. | Le patchwork afro-américain sous toutes ses coutures
Géraldine CHOUARD-VERON and Charles-Edouard DE BROIN
Language: | Duration: 1h
A look back at decades of quilting in the United States, an all-images presentation by the hand of Charles-Edouard de Broin and Géraldine Chouard.
11 A.M. | Gwen Magee, Mississippi: Threads of History (FR)
Géraldine CHOUARD-VERON
Language: (English film with French subtitles, conference in French) | Duration: 1h
Screening and discussion of the documentary on an African-American patchwork artist “Gwen Magee, Mississippi: Threads of History” (33 mins, English, with French subtitles) by Géraldine Chouard-Véron (Université Paris Dauphine) and Anne Crémieux (Université de Montpellier).
2 P.M. | Origines et développement du mouvement amish
David Bouvier, Département Archives et Patrimoine du Val d’Argent
Language: | Duration: 1h15
Known for its austere lifestyle in the USA, the Amish community has its origins in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. It was founded in 1693 by Jakob Ammann, in reaction to the loose morals of the local Anabaptists. A richly illustrated slide show tells the story of the birth and development of the Amish community, amidst the incredible religious patchwork of the Val d’Argent.
3:30 P.M. | Was die Amischen (Quilts) uns lehren
Hans ZOGG
Language: 
| Duration: 1h
The American quilt has developed into great richness. It is understandable that a small community in the great America, the Amish, would sooner or later become acquainted with this culture and possibly adopt it. The Amish, however, from the beginning of their quilting activities, i.e. from about 1870, cultivated their own expression, which 100 years later was visually recognized and felt to be amazingly related to the Concrete Art of the non-Amish world. What moved the Amish or the ‘concretists’ to come to artistic answers that seem so similar to each other? – and what was the question about these answers? This strongly motivates me to share my personal search for traces with you today.