eBurst from the AAQ

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Documenting, Preserving and Sharing the History of Quilts and Quiltmakers.

eBurst from the AAQ December 22, 2011

"Alliances" Quilts are Home for the Holidays and

"Home Is Where the Quilt Is" launches!

Alliances auction quilt with tag

The "Alliances" contest quilts are now nestled in their new homes thanks to the amazing, creative, generous artists who made quilts for "Alliances: People, Patterns, Passion," our 2011 contest and auction. A steady stream of e-squeals and e-praise have come in from you, the auction winners, who not only love the new quilts in your collection but want to connect with the quiltmakers. You, contest quilt artists, in turn have written to say, 'Who got my quilt? I'd love to reach out to them.' More tangible proof that our community is as much about the makers and the love they share as it is the objects we make.

First place winner of the first AAQ contest: "Our House" Keti Kasrashvili, Irina Lavrinenko, Nino Chargeishvili Tbilisi, The Republic of Georgia.

We are so proud of how our contest and auction program have grown. Former AAQ board members and volunteers Karen Musgrave and Yvonne Porcella wisely visioned this growth back in 2006 when they launched the very

first AAQ contest, "Put a Roof Over Our Head."

Seventy-four gorgeous house-shaped quilts were donated by their makers and the exhibition of quilts toured the country for a full year before going to auction via eBay.

In 2012 we present our 6th annual quilt contest--

"Home Is Where the Quilt Is,"

a celebration of the form and the meaning of Home. We return to the exciting challenging of a house-shaped quilt and invite all of our past contest artists and the entire quilt community to participate this year by entering a quilt (or five like Yvonne Porcella did in 2006!) and supporting this important fundraiser.

The Grand Prize this year will be judged by a panel of professional quilters/designers and we're proud to again partner with
Handi Quilter to award the Grand Prize winner's choice of any of the Handi Quilter machine quilting systems. Our members will again be called upon to select Member's Choice awards with fabulous prizes donated by our generous AAQ Business Members. We'll present audio artist's statements again this year thanks to our partners at VoiceQuilt. and the quilts will be exhibited nationally thanks to the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo and Maine Quilts. It takes an Alliance and we hope you'll join us!

Download your entry form for the 2012 "Home" contest here

and get all the details.

Since all contest quilts are auctioned and this income is a key source of fuel for our operations, our contest artists play a very important role in supporting our work. A second, equally valuable outcome is documentation. The contest quilts we receive each year serve as a snapshot of our members at a particular time in their lives-- what they care about, how they spend their time, how and why they make their art.

And did you know that when you buy one of these beauties and hang it on the wall in your home, the rest of the world can still appreciate and study it? We document all contest quilts in the
Quilt Index--our partner project with the Michigan State University Museum and MATRIX. Soon we'll be releasing an impressive collection of essays, galleries and lesson plans on www.QuiltIndex.org, including galleries highlighting the winners of the AAQ quilt contests. Stay tuned for the announcement of this new content in January and in the meantime, we hope you'll take on the challenge of the "Home" quilt contest.

Yvonne Porcella's 2006 contest quilt in the Quilt Index

Annual Report Video for 2011

Have you seen our 2011 Annual Report video? Watch today to see Your Support in Action! And if you are so moved and haven't already done so, please make a year-end donation or start or renew your AAQ membership this holiday season. Contributions and memberships provide 60% of our operating budget--the fuel we need to continue documenting, preserving and sharing the history of quilts and quiltmakers. You can make a secure, tax-deductible gift via credit card or PayPal or mail in your donation by check. Click to give online now or download a donation/membership form. Thank you!

2011 Annual Report: The Alliance for American Quilts

Thanks again for your support! On behalf of the board and staff of the AAQ, I wish you all a very happy and quilt-filled holiday season!

Group photo from our August 2011 meeting at F.I.T. in New York City

Left to right, standing: Debby Josephs, Mark Dunn, Victoria Findlay Wolfe, Marie Bostwick, Jodie Davis, Frances Holliday Alford, Leslie Tucker Jenison, Michele Muska, Kathie Burger Johnson, Janneken Smucker, Mark Lipinski, Amy Milne, Luke Haynes.

Left to right, seated: Marin Hanson, Amy Henderson, Meg Cox.

Amy E. Milne, Executive Director

The Alliance for American Quilts

information@quiltalliance.org

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