The Embroiderers' Guild of America, headquartered in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
, is an organization dedicated to "fostering the art of
needlework and associated arts." Its members practice any and all forms of needlework, and are dedicated to education and
community outreach. EGA has chapters throughout the United States. Chapters are organized into regions. Events are organized at all levels of the organization.
Membership in EGA is open to anyone interested in embroidery from the beginner to the professional. Members work within local chapters or a member-at-large network to improve their skills and knowledge. Also, the organization and individual members are involved with museums for education and preservation purposes. EGA offers individual and group correspondence courses, teacher and judge certification programs as well as master craftsman programs.
The Guild's definition of embroidery is intentionally un-confining: anything made "using a needle with an eye in it". In 2020 the national guild has over 8,800 national and international members organized in 260 local chapters in 13 regions, as well as 3 online chapters.
History
1957: needlework class
Three women, Dorothy (Mrs. F. Huntington) Babcock (formerly Dorothy Doubleday), Margaret (Mrs. Daryl) Parshall, and Miss Sally Behr (later Pettit) form a needlework class in Mrs. Babcock's New York City apartment. The following year this group launched the American Branch, Embroiderers’ Guild of London.
The Guild was created in 1958, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, as a branch of
Embroiderers' Guild of London. In 1970 the Guild withdrew from the London Guild and established The Embroiderers’ Guild of America.
The organization's head office in Louisville includes a gallery for displays from its permanent collection and changing exhibits of embroidery.
References
External links
Embroiderers' Guild of America
1958 establishments in the United States
Arts organizations established in 1958
Embroidery in the United States
Guilds in the United States
Non-profit organizations based in Louisville, Kentucky
Textile arts organizations
Tourist attractions in Louisville, Kentucky
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