The event drew friends and artists to view works spanning Hartten’s life and career alongside the work of the community. Among the featured pieces is “The House Quilt,” one of Hartten’s first quilts, which includes small faces depicting her family but notably excludes her own figure.

Chris Hartten explained the choice by noting her mother deliberately left herself out of the quilt’s figures.

“My mother said years ago she stood back and looked into the house,” Hartten said. “That’s why she’s not in it.”

A yellow quilt of Mary’s on display carries specific familial significance, as it was laid over Hartten by her son, Randy, on the last day of her life. 

Sandy Hellendrung, who contributed holiday table runners to the exhibit, and Kathy Hartten, daughter of the honored quilter Mary Hartten, attend the "Picking Up the Piecework" soft opening. (Photo by Amy Zents)

Also featured is a framed Happy Time Dressmaker Kit. Hartten’s family identified the childhood gift from Santa Claus as one of her earliest connections to fabric, a thread they said ran unbroken for the rest of her life.

John Kellen, executive director of The Grand, framed several of the works and photos currently on display.

The exhibit includes An Unfinished Project, a letterpress art book commissioned by Hartten’s children and donated to the Minnesota Historical Society. 

Two pages are currently on loan, showing both the front and back of quilt squares. 

Tegan Daly, who has training in book conservation and library special collections, is the only staff member authorized to handle the volume. Daly noted that it is more common practice to wash hands before handling such items rather than using gloves.

Tegan Daly , with her expertise in book conservation, stands by pages from "An Unfinished Project," the letterpress art book commissioned by Mary Hartten's children. (Photo by Amy Zents)

“Gloves can sometimes interfere with careful handling,” Daly said.

A primary objective of the exhibit was to celebrate fiber artists in the community–individuals who may not have previously considered themselves artists. 

The gallery features numerous community submissions made from Hartten’s own fabric collection. 

Quilter Judy LaGrow displayed a hand-quilted piece intended for donation to Martin Luther College for students to win at bingo night.

“Kids love those quilts; they’re always their first pick,” LaGrow said. “It’s like a piece of grandma.”

A vintage, operable metal sewing machine, part of Mary Hartten's extensive collection, on display at the "Picking Up the Piecework" exhibit. (Photo by Amy Zents)

Jo Clyne submitted “Meadows and Memories,” a quilt created from a fat quarter bundle she purchased from Hartten’s collection. “I love the colors in this fat quarter bundle I bought from Mary’s fabric collection,” Clyne stated. “It made such a happy quilt.” 

Sandy Hellendrung contributed holiday table runners sewn with assistance from Suzi Hanninen, a friend of her granddaughter, representing a cross-generational collaboration.

Chris Hartten noted the broader cultural shift the exhibit represents regarding how textiles are viewed.

“Textiles in general are being more studied and viewed as art,” she said. Hartten observed that many “individuals are now accepting as never before that they are truly artists.” 

Reflecting on her mother’s legacy, Hartten added that her mother would be proud to be part of the push to bring fabric to the forefront. “Her fabric is now being utilized, enjoyed, and transformed into pieces of art, which is what she had always wanted,” Hartten said.

Barb Pagel, the honored quilter, points to one of her meticulously crafted pieces on display at the "Picking Up the Piecework" exhibit. (Photo by Amy Zents)

Picking Up the Piecework runs through April 24 at The Grand. Artists receive 70 percent of proceeds from any works sold. Randy Hartten will present an Artist Talk on An Unfinished Project on Friday, April 10, at 5 p.m. at The Grand.