The Alpha Delta Chapter of ESA will hold their third annual quilt show. The Old Rock Gym will be filled with quilt displays the weekend of May 19 and 20. Hours on Saturday will be 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday noon to 4:00 PM. Billed as the area's biggest and best quilt show, the proceeds benefit the South Sebastian County Historical Society.
It is now the time of year when beloved family heirloom quilts were put away after cold winters. Pioneer women would "air" the quilts in the sunshine each spring following the long winter days and lots of use, "They would wash and air them out, then put them away for the next winter."
The quilt show should not only increase the public's awareness and appreciation of the art of quilting, but also increase interest and support of the South Sebastian Historical Society and its endeavors in maintaining the historic buildings.
The "Old Rock Gymnasium", where the quilts will be on display, is located at 402 Gary Street. The gym is on the National Register of Historic Places. The stone structure was built 1938-39 through the Works Progress Administration, a Depression-era federal relief program.
Also listed on the National Register is the Old Sebastian County Jail, built in 1882 from stone quarried on Backbone Mountain near Greenwood. Now home to the Old Jail Museum, the building remains the oldest existing county building in South Sebastian County. The historical district surrounding the Old Jail Museum in downtown Greenwood will also open for tours with vintage quilts on display.
Jeanie Evans, local award-winning quilter, will display a collection of her minature quilts. Many of her miniature quilt designs have been featured in the "Miniature Quilt" publications. In addition to local quilts, the Belle Point Quilter's Guild will display quilts made by members from Fort Smith, Heavener, Sallisaw and Muldrow.
A silent auction will be held and several vendors will be selling quilting and crafting supplies. Tickets for the quilt display and historical tour are $5.00 per person and are available at the door on the day of the show or from members of Alha Delta Chapter, ESA or South County Historical Society members
For more information, please contact Joyce Carmack, 479-996-4474 or Kay Voss, 479-883-0254.