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Contemporary QuiltArt Association records, 1986-2024

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Contemporary QuiltArt Association
Title
Contemporary QuiltArt Association records
Dates
1986-2024 (bulk)
Quantity
13.84 cubic feet (18 boxes)
Collection Number
5539
Summary
Photographs, newsletters, annual reports, meeting minutes, articles, and correspondence of the Contemporary QuiltArt Association in Sammamish, Washington
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

No restrictions on access.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was partially provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The Contemporary QuiltArt Association (CQA), formerly known as Northwest Association of Quilt Artists and Contemporary Quilt Association, began with a group of 36 people "united by the desire to have the public understand artistic expression in the fabric medium" (CQA website, November 2009). The group was inspired by a lecture series on the art quilt, co-organized in 1986 by Lorraine Torrence (local quilt artist and teacher) and Sharon Yenter (owner of the Seattle quilting store In The Beginning). Founding members developed artist statements and immediately began attempting to organize exhibitions, the first of which was at the Edmonds Art Center in 1987. Gradually, the structure of the group developed, with elected officers, membership dues, and eventually 501(c)3 non-profit status. Jean Koskie was its first president.

When the Contemporary Quilt Association participated in the Seattle Folklife Festival of 1991 with its exhibit "By Design: The Quilt as Art," its membership nearly doubled. Since then, the Contemporary QuiltArt Association (its official name since 1993) has held numerous exhibits in the Seattle area and beyond. CQA has also created several publications, including the book Fine Art Quilts. In keeping with its intent to provide a forum for serious critique of quilts as art pieces, the CQA has held "mock jurying" programs and maintains a slide bank of members' work for purposes of instruction, exhibition, and publication. Its monthly meetings are open to the public.

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Content Description

The records of the Contemporary QuiltArt Association mainly document the exhibitions that CQA has participated in; the administrative records of the organization (correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, membership materials, program and planning files); publications of the CQA; and a collection of reviews and clippings that demonstrate the publicity CQA has received. Media materials include many photographs, often in the form of slides documenting the quilts in exhibitions and other events, but also videotapes, audio cassette tapes, and electronic files on CD-ROM.

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Other Descriptive Information

Some original folder headings are used in the list below; in other cases, different headings have been given to better describe contents for the purposes of this inventory. Original folders were kept intact when applicable; loose and three-ring-bound materials were foldered and filed according to the bulk of the material within.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Preferred Citation

[Title of item], [date of item if known], [box/folder number], Contemporary QuiltArt Association Records, [Accession No.], University of Washington Libraries.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Organized into 2 accessions.

  • Accession No. 5539-001, Contemporary QuiltArt Association records, 1986-2008
  • Accession No. 5539-002, Contemporary QuiltArt Association records, 1987-2024

Acquisition Information

Donated by the Contemporary QuiltArt Association

Processing Note

Minimally processed.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Corporate Names

  • Contemporary QuiltArt Association--Archives


2009 (Last modified: 9/5/2024)

CC0

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