The Alliance for American Quilts Announces Move to Asheville, North Carolina

October 10, 2005

Louisville, Kentucky, October 10, 2005 — The Alliance for American Quilts announced today that it will move its offices to Asheville, North Carolina in summer 2006. The Alliance has been invited by HandMade in America, a nationally recognized craft and economic development organization, to join them in new offices currently under construction in downtown Asheville. The offices are part of Buncombe County's effort to encourage the further development of Asheville as a premier center for craft and design. As a national organization devoted to the dynamic field of quilts, The Alliance is a highly prized partner in this endeavor.

There is a rich tradition in quilting of making do with little, of taking small scraps and combining them ingeniously to create a gorgeous artifact whose magnificent whole transcends its humble parts. The Alliance has done this all along by being nimble and creative, forging itself into a sophisticated and practical organization that serves the quilt world in many ways."Limited funds, the sweat equity of our board, members and supporters, and pure passion have fueled The Alliance for the last ten years and brought us to the accomplishments and reputation we have today," said Alliance President Shelly Zegart."We need a stronger engine — dedicated office space and full-time staff — to keep the work going and growing. Our move will give The Alliance a chance to gain the broader recognition it deserves — and quilts more of the recognition they deserve."

The Alliance was chosen from many organizations for the coveted space with HandMade. Rebecca Anderson, HandMade's Executive Director, said,"HandMade chose The Alliance for American Quilts to share our new office space because of its national presence, use of technology, and innovative thinking about handmade objects. This joint venture will bring together different, but complementary organizations, resulting in a synergistic relationship, enabling each to grow in ways we might not otherwise."

The Alliance for American Quilts has been working for more than ten years to preserve and share the incredibly rich stories embodied in American quilts — stories about families and communities; histories of diverse people revealed through patterns, fabric, pictures, and colors. The Alliance is known for the high quality of its programs and projects, including the Center for the Quilt Online, which has become the"gold standard" web site for researching quilts and quiltmakers. From the site, users can access The Quilt Index, a groundbreaking resource that will include 15,000 quilt records and photographs by late 2006; Quilters' S.O.S. — Save Our Stories, featuring nearly 500 oral history interviews with quiltmakers; Quilt Treasures web documentaries about the work and lives of the leaders of the 20th century American quilt revival; and much more.

HandMade has led a renaissance of the Asheville area through the development of business, cultural tourism, and academic centers focused on the handcrafts. Quilts have been an important part of that movement. Quilt traditions, activity, and groups are strong throughout western North Carolina. Nationally known quiltmaker Georgia Bonesteel has sung the praises of the area for more than 20 years, and the North Carolina Quilt Symposium is one of the longest running statewide quilt events in the nation.

The Alliance's national board of directors will officially"kick off" the organization's new home in August 2006, when it will hold its first Asheville-based board meeting and celebration.

Read this article at Planet Patchwork
planetpatchwork.com/travel/asheville2005.htm or some other reasons why Asheville is the perfect place for The Alliance.

For additional information, CONTACT:
Shelly Zegart
The Alliance for American Quilts
(502) 897-3819
www.centerforthequilt.org

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