Randy Hartten gestures toward the four sample quilt blocks on screen during his presentation at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture. Hartten discussed how he cataloged Mary Hartten’s 54 unfinished squares—sourced from The Farmer’s Wife Sampler Quilt kit—before converting them into a tactile artist’s book. (Photo by Amy Zents)

NEW ULM — Randy Hartten stood before a packed room at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, recounting how an unfinished collection of his late mother’s quilt squares became a one-of-a-kind artist’s book.

​The project, titled “An Unfinished Project,” was initiated after Hartten discussed 54 unfinished quilt squares with his mother, Mary Hartten, before her death. 

Rather than completing a traditional quilt, the family commissioned St. Paul letterpress artist Kent Aldrich to create a tactile portfolio.

“This started as something selfish for our family,” Hartten told the audience. “But it grew into something that touched history, community and art in ways we never expected.”

​The finished book is housed in an elegant archival box covered in Japanese silk-rayon. It contains 27 letterpress-printed pages mounting the squares two at a time, featuring an embossed quilting stitch pattern and a separate portfolio of ephemera. 

Due to its significance as a work of art and a textile record, the family donated the book to the Minnesota Historical Society (MHS). It has been accepted into the state’s permanent collection as a vital record of Midwestern women’s creative lives.

​While the book serves as a permanent historical record, the current exhibit at The Grand, “Picking Up the Piecework: A Legacy of Creativity Through The Lens of Mary Hartten,” focuses on the connection between the collection and the New Ulm community. 

The exhibit originated from a 2023 sale of Mary Hartten’s fabric collection, which raised more than $10,000 for the nonprofit. Local quilters purchased the fabric and created the new works currently displayed in the 4 Pillars Gallery.

​John Kellen, director of The Grand, called the project a perfect example of how one person’s creative legacy can ripple through a community.

“There are so many threads in this story,” Kellen said.

The exhibit coincides with what would have been Mary Hartten’s 82nd birthday. Born on April 13, 1944, Hartten dedicated her life to her craft, and the family views the timing of the display as a fitting tribute to her lifelong work.”

​As the exhibit continues to draw visitors, Mary’s children, Chris, Cathy, and Randy Hartten, issued a statement of gratitude for the community’s involvement. 

“We are thankful to those who shared their art for the exhibit, and the strong response from the community,” they said. “Bringing the silent artists to the forefront was a major goal. The amazing stories they have shared have shown evidence of the community connection textiles can truly offer.”

​During his presentation, Randy Hartten emphasized the new life these objects have taken on.

“You all are part of this story now,” he told the crowd. “These objects don’t belong to just one person anymore.”

The Grand is currently planning a community trip later this year to the MHS for a gallery viewing of the full work; interested individuals are encouraged to contact the center for details.

​The exhibit runs through April 24 at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture, 210 N. Minnesota St. While portions of “An Unfinished Project” are currently on display in New Ulm, the complete book is now part of the MHS collection.