UofL Libraries: Shelly Zegart Papers, 1993-2006: Home

Accessions: 2007-012; 2008-130
Extent: 15.75 linear feet
Restrictions: This collection is open to researchers
Copyright: Copyright has not been transferred to the University of Louisville.

Biographical Note

Shelly Zegart is an internationally recognized expert on American quilts. She has collected and sold quilts, curated exhibitions, written and lectured about all aspects of quilt history and aesthetics for over 25 years. Reared in quilt- rich western Pennsylvania, Shelly Zegart settled in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1968, another area where quilting has long been practiced with skill and passion. Zegart's love of American antique quilts began in the mid 1970s when she discovered quilts as a form of art. She immediately developed an intense passion for quilts, their history and the stories they tell.

Zegart was a co-founder and driving force behind The Kentucky Quilt Project, the first state quilt documentation project. In 1993, she was a founder of The Alliance for American Quilts, a national nonprofit organization with the purpose of uniting the varied elements of the quilt world around the vision that understands quilts not only as works of art, but as tangible pieces of history with stories that should be documented and preserved. From 1993 until 2006 she led the organization’s development. The Alliance collaborates with partners around the country to: increase understanding of the quilt as an important American grassroots art form that transcends many backgrounds and heritages; engage Americans everywhere in the documentation of quilts to save information that otherwise will be lost; and make quilt research and information available to a broad and eager public.

Brief Description of the Collection

The first accession (6.75 linear feet) collection of papers was donated to the University Archives and Records Center in January 2007. It almost exclusively documents the donor’s involvement in the founding of The Alliance for American Quilts, from its very beginnings until she rotated off the Board of Directors in 2006. The additional material (9 linear feet) came in December 2008 and includes some of the donor’s topical, business, and literary production files.

Accesion 2007-012 is contained in boxes 1-6; Accession 2008-130 begins with box 7.

Box List

Box 1

1. Alliance- Domain Names 1999
2. Financial Information 1994-2001
3. Wolf, Keen - Summary of work & Costs 1994-2001
4. Wolf, Keens - Summary of Services since 1994- thru 12/2000
5. Alliance contract - Wolf, Keens 2000
6. Wolf, Keens Contract correspondence 1999
7. Alliance/Keens Contract 1998
8. Fund Raising- Budgets, Notes, progress reports, Keens 1996
9. Keens, Summary meeting 11/1996
10. Keens invoices 1996
11. Keens Company Contract 1996
12. Keens Company Contract/conversations
13. Advisory Board Keens Company 1994
14. Keens Company Files/Folders
15. Press Releases edit. Etc. 2001
16. Alliance 08/01 Problems with the Ladies
17. Alliance Problems. Alliance Statement 07/01 52 Position 9/01
18. Notes on reconstructing Alliance Board 2001
19. Meg Cox. Alliance 2001
20. Preliminary Report, Reorganization committee Plus AQSC By laws 2001
21. Alliance meeting summary September 2001
22. Summary 01/01 also 9/2001 Agenda to talk to Laura Friday Alliance.
23. Alliance 2001/ Ending August Executive Committee calls /notes 2001
24. Alliance Inventory Houston 2001
25. Alliance Inventory in Texas 2001
26. Year end Letter, Donor Original 2001
27. Financial contributions Summary 2001
28. Board Insurance 2001
29. Alliance End of Year Finances Summaries 1994-2000
30. Alliance meeting memo follow-up emails 02/00
31. Board Meeting Avg. 2000
32. 1999 Grant application
33. Quilt treasures budget 1999
34. Alliance- Lake Mills Studios
35. Alliance Guild Pledge Agreements
36. 1998 Meeting summary
37. Proposed budgets 1998/ alliance 143-52
38. Advisory Council Bios 1998
39. Alliance P.R. 1998
40. Job Description/ Executive Director Alliance 1998
41. "Boxes under the bed" Mailing List 1-90
42. Advisory Council Prelim. Packet 1998
43. Alliance H-NET agreement letter 1998 Quilt Index
44. Post DC Consortium reporting planning includes KB conference calls 1998
45. NEA/NEH Consortium index meeting D.C. 1/1998
46. Advisory Council 1998
47. NEH Application Admissions
48. Index Steering committee meeting / notes 1998
49. Consortium Development /Keens 1997
50. Shuman, Phil 1997 Alliance
51. "Boxes under the bed" Registrations 1997
52. "Boxes under the bed" Follow-up - All types 1997
53. Alliance- Activity 1997 Index
54. Advisory Council Meeting
55. Avg. 1-1 meeting/ UDC 1997
56. 97-DOCS-event SJ Raphael.
57. Karey and Nancy Post Boxes Correspondence Alliance 1997
58. Alliance Advisory Council Meeting 8/1999
59. For discussion/Karey-Nancy October 1997
60. NEA- Stephanie Madden August 1997
61. "Friends" correspondence - 1997 P.R. and other fund raising Ideas

Box 2

1. Alliance for American Quilts Proposal
2. Guild Contribution history
3. Various Pledge Forms
4. Leadership/pledge forms
5. 501C3 IRS determination letter and Number
6. 501C3 Opinion Letter
7. Database/ Original Alliance
8. Original Surveys
9. Alliance - Post meeting Articles P.R. 1995
10. Advisory Board/Needs assessment
11. Alliance 1993 Meeting (1st)
12. Packet sent after DC meeting 1995
13. Alliance overview/Executive summary 1993
14. Index correspondence 1993
15. Party Fundraising 10/01 Alliance
16. Updated Bio List 6/01
17. Fundraising NY fall 2001
18. Meeting date preferences agenda alliance
19. Winedale, H. Report Kate Adams
20. Alliance Alamo Rally Issues 2001
21. Budget- Drafts, End of Year, 2001
22. QSOS-2001-2002
23. Meeting RMS- DC- Alliance Research 2001
24. Texas Regional Center Discussion 2000
25. Quilt Treasures
26. Alliance/ Texas Symposium 4/01
27. February- Alliance meeting responses 2001
28. Alliance Talking points Shelly 10-01
29. NEH- 04-01 P.R.-Budget
30. 2000 Website Committee quiltcenter.org
31. Alliance Request for Partnership/Library of Congress/Centers 2000
32. Bernie Hermann, University of Delaware 1999-2000
33. Quilters SOS 11/2000
34. International Quilt Festival 06-2000
35. Illana Hodsm internship 2000
36. Meeting Alliance January 21, 2000
37. Fund Raising Alliance in large Projects/ fall 2000
38. SOS interviews Goss- 2000
39. Oral History of Festival SOS 1999
40. "Save our Stories" 2000
41. Plans for review, Request for Partnership for Advisory Council consideration
42. Follow up Meeting 9-2000 UDC Meeting memos
43. Center for me Quilt meeting with Betsy Broun 1999
44. NEH Grant turndown 1998
45. Keens, Wolf, and Co. Research information
46. Michigan State University Papers
47. Houston SOS packet, 10/99

Box 3

1. Advisory Council 1996-1997
2. Advisory Council Meeting 10/1997
3. "Boxes under the Bed" 1997
4. Alliance project 1997
5. "Boxes under the Bed" send/information 1997
6. Concept paper- Center for the quilt 1997
7. Collection policy developments 1997
8. Re: Nebraska 1997
9. Elaine Hedges Obituary Information. 1997
10. Strategies for sponsors 1997
11. Quilt Query 1997
12. Mailing list to National Support Committee and non-NSC
13. Misc. Correspondence memos 1997
14. Boxes Correspondence 1997
15. Fundraising Documents. SJR Home 1997
16. "Boxes under the Bed" overflow file 1996
17. Alan Governar 1996
18. Alliance fundraising Keens Co. Prospects
19. Old Alliance Brochures 1996
20. Advisory Council November 1996
21. Alliance Correspondence and Misc. Information. 1996
22. Alliance Misc. Correspondence 1996
23. Misc. Mailings to look at 1996
24. Memos from Karey to Respond to 1996
25. Boxes under the Bed Project 11/1996
26. Boxes under the Bed Project 1996
27. Alliance meeting in Houston November 1996
28. 1/1996 Notes- KB Correspondence after Meeting W.D.C.
29. Packet sent "Boxes under the Bed" Before/After and Mailing List
30. Conference Call Notes - K.N.S.
31. Fundraising letters and packet/Keens Co. 1996
32. Alliance sample/ articles 1996-1997
33. Proposal drafts folk life center Re: 1996
34. Center and Index 18 month plan and budget
35. Budget Summary 1996
36. National Committee Letter- Follow up 1996
37. Boxes under the bed conference
38. Quilt index 1996
39. Latest Version Position Paper 11/1996
40. Nancy-Jon: Karey, Shelly/Eunice 12/96
41. DC Meeting July 1996
42. 18 month plan 1996
43. Cathy Rasmussen/Alliance Project 1995
44. Alliance P.R. -Re: Meeting
45. Alliance Survey & Meeting sent totals 1995
46. Position Paper drafts/comments 1995
47. Alliance Minutes1995
48. Jan Brooks 1995
49. Conversations - post meeting notes/ Re: Folklife Center

Box 4

1. Alliance Fundraising Packet Information [Expanded Folder]
2. Meeting summary
3. Simultaneous Notes, Washington D.C. Meeting 8/1995
4. The D.C. Meeting Notes 8/1995 Alliance
5. Alliance - Fundraising 1995 correspondence
6. Alliance - Press release statements from Adv.
7. Press Release
8. Index/Center - information sent to consider 1995
9. Karey / Nancy Visit 1/1994
10. Karey Correspondence 1993
11. Overview of Need our "1st Bible" 1994
12. Alliance Press ongoing 1994
13. Index Meeting 1997

Box 5

1. Meeting Notes
2. Board meeting Documents Shelly
3. Executive Call Notes 2006
4. Lease Agreement
5. Hotel- Best Caterer August Meeting 2006
6. "Put a Roof Over Our Heads" Postcards
7. Laura Index Report
8. Shelly
9. Development Calls Notes 2006
10. Board Report February 2006
11. Fundraising transition development E.O.Y Asheville 2006
12. Misc. Alliance Documents 2005
13. RE: Web issues
14. Michigan State University project 2004
15. AAQ Board Members to-dos
16. Index Documents Meeting 2006
17. OT Doc/Web Doc/ 2/2006
18. Work Time used 2006
19. Budget 2006 Papers for Amy M.
20. Gloria Hansen 2005
21. WK and Transition
22. Lex. Station
23. Am- weekly reports/ plans 2006
24. Handmade in America
25. Promotional Materials
26. Transition money Pledges Office costs Shelly Idea fund Development 2006
27. NEH grant July 1 2006
28. Board Fundraising 2005-2006
29. Karen Personnel/ Job
30. Contracts
31. Budget Conventions
32. Owls list for meetings
33. Chernikoff 2005
34. Tote Quote
35. Meg- Book
36. David Roth 6/2005
37. Board Member Constitution 2006Reginal Centers - Calls/Discussion 2004
38. Convention and Building
39. Index Intellectual Prosperity Information 1998
40. Quilt Voices Events
41. C.E. and S Curriculum proposal/ alliance 2004
42.Beununa List Susan Beck 2003
43. Budget 2006
44. B Herman Latest 4/2004
45. Corporation Development 2006
46. The Move-Actual Costs
47. Membership Changes 2005
48. Brochure
49. Licensing Alliance
50. Executive Call Notes fall 2004-2005
51. Auction 2005
52. Board Meeting e-mails. Aug 2006
53. Webster Overwrites Discussions 8/2005
54. AAQ Newsletter 2005
55. Calendar M. Ship Updates
56. Feb 2005 Board Meeting Documents
57. Meg Conversations
58. Dev-Lists-Letter 2005
59. Approaching Elanor, Ferris Letters 2005
60. Alliance and the regional centers 2004
61. Chicago Musgrave event 4/24/2004
62. Museum Network meeting 2004
63. Crosby and Rankin Contract to sign MSN 2/2005
64. Industry follow-up 2004
65. Museum Meeting 2004
66. Aug 2004 Board Meeting DC
67. Museum Meeting 2/2004
68. Shelly DC- Feb 2004
69. Development/Executive meetings 2003-2004
70. Development and membership2004
71. Projects in Flux Alliance 2004
72. David Roth/ Alliance 2004
73. Fundraising AAQ 2004
74. Bernie Re QSOS backlog 6/2004
75. Feb 2004 BOD meeting restaurants too!
76. Board Meeting/ Details Aug 2005

Box 6

1. Raffle Quilt Folder 2004
2. Membership AAQ
3. Guild and Membership RAFFLE AAQ initiatives 2004
4. Alliance E.O.Y and Budgets 2004
5. Board Meeting papers 8/2003
6. August Board Meeting 2003 Cal Information
7. Guest Book/ San Francisco 8/2003
8. Alliance- Press, Guild letters, Honor Roll
9. Avent/Rossetti Prospect 2003
10. Industry Solicitations 2003
11. Orientation information for Executive Director 2003
12. Development Docs. Industry/individual 2003
13. Laura’s time 2003
14. Industry Correspondence, proposal 2003-2004
15. K.B./N.O. Information 2003
16. Herman, Bernie - Bios/ Articles 2003
17. Press Lists 2003
18. Index grants 2003
19. Par Conversations 2003
20. Mary Austin inventory discussions 2003
21. Grinnell expedition 2003
22. Website digital committee 2003
23. The 10,000 Quilt Question 2002-2003
24. Chicago event follow-up AVG 2002 lists
25. QSOS/2002./2003
26. Pins Quote Re: Judy Kriehn 2002
27. OT 2002/2003
28. Budgets 2002/2003
29. Development Committee minutes 2002/2003
30. Alliance Executive Committee/ Topics Discussions 2002
31. QSOS/ Pager 2002
32. Industry Fundraising Master 2002
33. January Board Meeting 2003
34. Chicago meeting August 23, 2003
35. Future Committee 4/2002
36. January Board Meeting 2002
37. Alliance Logo Art 2002
38. Website Discussions 2002
39. End of the year Alliance Letters 2002
40. Follow up New York Event 2002/ Misc. Lists
41. Alliance/Quilt Articles 2002
42. Alliance Letter Head 2002
43. Texas Proposal Comments 9/2002
44. Chicago Event 8/2002
45. Development Committee Work 2001/2002
46. Quilter Index Issues 9/2002

Box 7

Planning and organization for The Alliance for American Quilts: Notes, August 1995
The Alliance for American Quilts, cassette tapes of meetings: August 11, 1995, 4 tapes; August 12, 1995, 2 tapes; November 3, 1996, 4 tapes

Box 8

1. Business information: Insurance and appraisal
2. Business information: Insurance and appraisal
3. Business information: Heart and Hands, Japan 1993-1994
4. Business information: Examples of imported reproduction quilts, 1990-1997
5. Business information: Correspondence with Carolyn Maruggi re: imported reproduction quilts, 1992
6. Business information: Notes, lists, 1986-1995
7. Donations: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1991
8. Donations: "Old Maid," 1871
9. Donations: JB Speed Art Museum, Louisville, KY 1994
10. Donations: Bottle cap art: Figure and Wishing Well
11. Donations: Museum of American Folk Art, New York City, NY 1994
12. Donations: "The Saddlebred Horse" circa 1900
13. Donations: "Spinning Wheels" circa 1920
14. Donations: "Deco Christmas Wreath" circa 1930
15. Donations: American Quilt Study Group, 1995
16. Donations: "Folky Hearts Applique" circa 1880
17. Donations: Kentucky Museum of Western Kentucky University, 1995
18. Donations: "Hatfield & McCoy" circa 1940
19. Donations: Museum of American Folk Art, New York City, NY 1995
20. Donations: "Century of Progress, 1833-1933" 1933
21. Donations: Center for the Study of Southern Culture, University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS, 1997
22. Donations: "A Curiosity Bedspread" 1935
23. Donations: Donation of quilts, re: Bruce Roth 1996
24. Sales: Quilts sold, 1996
25. Sales: JB Speed Art Museum, 2006
26. Sales: "Princess Feather with oak leaves" circa 1880

Box 9

1. Manuscript and original photos and slides (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
2. Working papers (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
3. Contributors letter, 1994-1997 (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
4. Correspondence, American publishers, 1995- (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
5. Correspondence with publisher (including agreement), 1995 (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
6. Correspondence with publisher, 1996 (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
7. Correspondence with publisher, 1997 (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
8. Correspondence about the book, 1997 (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
9. Kristen Herbert of Sarabande Books (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
10. Strategic planning (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
11. Color cover (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
12. Requests for blurbs (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
13. Public relations (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
14. Promotional materials (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
15. Advertising (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
16. Media lists (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
17. Distributors (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
18. Shipping to Louisville (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
19. Pricing and shipping charges (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
20. Comp list (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
21. Order forms (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
22. Follow up (American Quilt Collections: Antique Quilt Masterpieces)
23. Reviews and articles: Bets Ramsey review in Chattanooga Times, August 14, 1997
24. Reviews and articles: Quilt Connection (Museum of American Folk Art), Fall 1997
25. Reviews and articles: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), September 17, 1997
26. Reviews and articles: Antiques and the Arts Weekly, September 19, 1997
27. Reviews and articles: Community (Louisville, KY), September 26, 1997
28. Reviews and articles: Country Living, October 1997
29. Reviews and articles: Daily Mississippian, November 4, 1997
30. Reviews and articles: American Quilter’s Society book catalog, 1998
31. Reviews and articles: Maine Antiques Digest, January 1998
32. Reviews and articles: New York - Pennsylvania Collector, January 1998
33. Reviews and articles: The Voice-Tribune (Louisville, KY), February 4, 1998
34. Reviews and articles: Antiques and the Arts Weekly, April 10, 1998
35. Reviews and articles: The Paducah (KY) Sun's EXTRA! April 22, 1998
36. Reviews and articles: C&T Publishing catalog, Spring/Summer 1998 and Fall/Winter 1998
37. Reviews and articles: Antique Journal, May 1998
38. Quilts and quilters files: Miscellaneous quilt histories
39. Quilts and quilters files: African American quilts
40. Quilts and quilters files: "Album of Inventors," 1933
41. Quilts and quilters files: "Album Quilt" 1854 (Sarah Ann Wilson)
42. Quilts and quilters files: "Album Quilt" 1859 (Gertrude Wilson)
43. Quilts and quilters files: Applique quilts
44. Quilts and quilters files: "Cows" circa 1900
45. Quilts and quilters files: "Garfield and Arthur" circa 1880
46. Quilts and quilters files: "Graphic Sunburst" circa 1880
47. Quilts and quilters files: "Grape Arbor" 1885
48. Quilts and quilters files: Honeycomb center
49. Quilts and quilters files: Indian quilts, various dates
50. Quilts and quilters files: "Map" circa 1920
51. Quilts and quilters files: "Mother-in-law" circa 1930
52. Quilts and quilters files: "Paradise Garden" 1935
53. Quilts and quilters files: "Settling of the American West," 1932
54. Quilts and quilters files: "Ships" 1933
55. Quilts and quilters files: "Sun sets on Sunbonnet Sue"1979
56. Quilts and quilters files: "Sunday School Picnic" 1932
57. Quilts and quilters files: Sarah May Taylor
58. Quilts and quilters files: "Touching Stars" circa 1860
59. Quilts and quilters files: "Two Female Campers," 1922 and "Two Ladies Dressed in Lingerie," 1925 (Cora Scovil, quilt artist)
60. Quilts and quilters files: "Wedding Sampler" no date
61. Quilts and quilters files: Anna Williams, 1927-

Notebooks/binders

1984 (Inventory binder)
Quilts Master list - 1985-1988 (Inventory binder)
1985 (Inventory binder)
1986 (Inventory binder)
1987 (Inventory binder)
1989 (2) (Inventory binders)
Master list, January -June 1990 (Inventory binder)
Photo catalog, 1990-1991 (Inventory binder)
July-December 1990 (Inventory binder)
January-June 1991 (Inventory binder)
July-December 1991 (Inventory binder)
1992 (Inventory binder)
1993 (Inventory binder)
1994 (Inventory binder)
1995 (Inventory binder)
1996 (Inventory binder)
1997 (Inventory binder)
1998 (Inventory binder)
1999 (Inventory binder)
2000 (Inventory binder)
Show photos - 1984-1991
Show photos - 1987-1989
Show photos - 1992-1999
Shelly Zegart Collection sold, 1996