By Patricia Belyea
BERKELEY CA Julie Silber will be the first to tell you: turn a corner and everything can change. That’s been the theme of her life, and especially her life in quilts.
From Michigan to California
Julie grew up in an urban Jewish family in Michigan. Quilts weren’t on her radar — there weren’t any in her family, and she’d never given them a thought. Her studies at the University of Michigan included art history, and she was surrounded by museums and fine art — but no quilts.
At 21, Julie left for California. It was 1966. She stayed with two college friends, Linda and Pat. It was in their apartment that two quilts hit Julie “like a 2X4.”
Linda had a sweet quilt from her grandmother on her bed. Pat, a painter, had bought a Victorian silk log cabin at a thrift store. Its pewter, strawberry, and gunmetal tones shimmered on her wall. Suddenly, quilts weren’t just craft and comfort—they were powerful, visual, emotional.
That was the pivot.
Collecting and a Shop Called Mary Strickler’s Quilt
Julie began collecting quilts with Linda Reuther. At the same time, she was working as a nursery school teacher. She never imagined that quilts would become her life’s work.
But in 1970, Julie’s mother convinced Julie and Linda to exhibit some 30 to 40 quilts at a gallery in Birmingham, Michigan. The show was a hit, and people began bringing quilts to Julie and Linda to buy.
So why not open a shop?
In 1972, Julie and Linda opened Mary Strickler’s Quilt in San Rafael, named after a label they’d found on an 1834 Mariner’s Compass quilt. Neither knew anything about retail — Julie’s dad was a lawyer and Linda’s dad was president of the UAW. But the shop flourished.
By the mid-1970s, they were giving lectures, organizing exhibitions, even landing a feature in Ms. Magazine. In 1981, they curated American Quilts: A Handmade Legacy at the Oakland Museum—a landmark show.
The Esprit Years
In 1981, Julie and Linda parted ways, and the shop closed. But opportunity knocked again. Doug Tompkins of Esprit—yes, the fashion company—had been one of their customers. He invited Julie to curate Esprit’s quilt collection.
Julie had to look up the word curator. But soon she was in the thick of it — buying, selling, framing, organizing exhibitions around the world.
Doug became a mentor, pushing her to do more than she thought possible, including working with art critic Robert Hughes on a landmark book that framed Amish quilts as powerful works of visual art.
Those were heady years. Esprit’s collection toured internationally—Japan, Australia, Germany, France, Spain. Julie found herself not just handling textiles, but shaping how the world viewed quilts.
Reinventing — Again and Again
Doug left Esprit in 1990, and the company was sold in 1999. Julie pivoted once more, reviving her own business as The Quilt Complex.
By 2000, she had relocated to Mendocino. For eleven years, she ran her quilt business by the ocean, with the internet making it possible to connect with collectors and scholars worldwide.
But life changed again: her mother died, her brother was diagnosed with cancer, and the medical resources in Mendocino proved too limited. In 2013, Julie moved to Berkeley, starting Julie Silber Quilts.
Julie thought she didn’t want a shop. But, in 2022, with COVID shifting the landscape, she opened a storefront in Berkeley. Quietly. No grand opening.
Today, her work is largely online — even virtually she’s still energized, still passionate.
More Than Just Blankets
Quilts, Julie insists, are art, history, survival, memory. They represent time, place, and people.
And her teacher’s instinct never left her. Whether she’s speaking to a quilt guild in the evening or at a Rotary breakfast at 7am, she sees herself as a bridge — helping others see quilts not just as objects, but as voices.
A Leading Quilt Expert
Julie won’t say she’s the leading quilt expert. She will admit she’s among the most well-rounded — someone who can see quilts in context, as both art and social history.
Her life has been a series of turns: nursery school teacher to shop owner to curator to international authority.
And through it all, the quilts keep her curious, surprised, and — yes — excited.
Julie’s Book on Amish Quilts
Julie has a few NEW copies available of the MOST FABULOUS quilt book — beautifully designed with gorgeous photos of stunning Amish quilts. It’s a perfect gift to yourself or a beloved quilty friend.
To purchase Amish: The Art of the Quilt for $50 plus FREE shipping +click here
See Julie on Instagram with her fun unboxing videos +here
Visit Julie’s website +here
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ABOUT US: Okan Arts, a petite family business, is co-owned by mother-daughter duo Patricia Belyea and Victoria Stone. Patricia and Victoria import vintage Japanese textiles, host in-person and online creative quilting experiences, and lead textile tours to Japan.
FOLLOW OKAN ARTS ON INSTAGRAM @okanarts
BELOW: Julie Silber and Patricia Belyea at Julie’s shop in Berkeley CA.
