Small Business Share: The National Coverlet Museum
Small Business Share: National Coverlet Museum
A few weeks ago I loaded up Red Stone Glen’s volunteers and we headed west to visit the National Coverlet Museum in Bedford, PA. Our visit, and the dedication of the museum’s owners for more than 16 years has me once again singing the praises of small businesses and why we should do our collective best to support them.
The National Coverlet Museum is a private, non-profit organization, housed in a beautiful, old school in charming Bedford, PA. Step through the doors into a breath-taking exhibit of handwoven coverlets that tell the story of America’s textiles, one coverlet at a time. It’s an unexpected delight, due in large part to curators, Melinda and Lazlo Zongor. They live and breathe American coverlet history, mentioning weavers’ names as you would old friends, and even sharing some of the mysteries behind the coverlets on display at the museum.
Open seven days a week, the couple is dedicated to offering everyone, regardless of fiber experience or knowledge, a closer look at American history, through intricate handweavings over the past two centuries. Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of these coverlets is how well they have stood the test of time. The colors remain vibrant and true, even today.
To get a better appreciation for weaving, the museum has weaving looms and spinning wheels on display as well. Curator Melinda Zongor likes to say that without the advent of weaving and weaving looms, we’d be cold, hungry and naked. A true statement if ever there was one.
Now, although the National Coverlet Museum isn’t technically a small business, they do have a lot in common. The museum is essentially run by two people. It relies on folks coming through the door to visit, to browse the small gift shop, to perhaps invest in the Museum through membership support. Just like in small business, our support matters. A lot. If we want to continue to have access to the treasures places like the National Coverlet
Museum have on display, to see a bit of our own history up close, to share it with future generations, it’s up to us. So, do me (and yourselves) a favor. Visit the National Coverlet Museum online, and maybe even add them to your summer travel plans. You’ll be grateful you did, and so will they.
Stay tuned for more stories about small businesses. One of my missions this year is to introduce folks to small businesses, to share how important they are to both our economy and our local communities. Makes sense, right?