Claresholm Arts Society fibre arts show draws record crowd
quilts and more - The Claresholm Arts Society held their third annual fibre arts show at the Claresholm Community Centre on Saturday, May 5, attracting more than 175 people. Here at right is Claresholm's Joyce Manchulenko visiting with Katherine Murray of the Alberta Quilt Study Society. Photo by Rob Vogt
By Rob Vogt, Local Press Writer
The Claresholm Arts Society recent fibre arts show drew the biggest crowd in its three-year history.
The show took over the Claresholm Community Centre on Saturday, May 5, drawing more than 175 people from Claresholm, Stavely, Granum, Turner Valley, Cardston, Pincher Creek, Lethbridge, and Calgary.
One of the tables was occupied by the Alberta Quilt Study Society, who document quilts from around the province through their Alberta Quilt Discovery Project.
“We’re here letting people know what we do,” said Katherine Murray of the society.
The society, incorporated about five years ago, is based in Calgary and has about 70 members.
They document old or new quilts.
Anyone interested in having a quilt documented can make an appointment with the society who will then photograph the quilt; do an oral history; and take down details about the quilt.
The fee for documenting a quilt is $5 for society members, and $10 for non-members, and a documentation takes about an hour.
So far, the society has documented about 675 quilts.
Representatives of the society have been visiting various parts of the province such as Red Deer, Canmore, Cochrane, Balzac, Edmonton, Hillspring, Drumheller, Stettler, and Sylvan Lake, letting people know more about their documentation project
They have attended a lot of quilt shows in Calgary and are now branching out.
The society’s next Quilt Discovery Day will be June 10 at the Bearspaw Community One Room Schoolhouse Complex in Calgary.
Murray said there is a simple reason to document a quilt.
“To hold on to the stories,” she said. “We’re holding on to women’s histories.
“If you don’t attach a label to something, in three generations the story’s lost.”
Anyone interested in more information can visit the society’s website at abqss.com.
The fourth annual fibre arts show is planned for Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Claresholm Community Centre.