The History Of The Peace River Quilters' Guild, Inc
Peace
River Quilters' Guild came about through a chance meeting of ladies
viewing a quilt show at the Port Charlotte Cultural Center in August of
1987. Exchanging names and phone numbers,
they formed a small group which began meeting at the Punta Gorda Women's
Club.
The Peace River Quilters' Guild was formally organized and the first
official meeting was conducted in October 1987. Much growth occurred in
the years that followed. The first quilt show, held in 1990 at the
Women's Club was very successful. In 1992 the show was moved to the
Charlotte County Memorial Auditorium, enjoying even greater attendance.
In 1993 the Peace River Quilters' Guild became incorporated. Subsequently, the biennial
shows
became known as the
“Southwest Florida Quilt Festival”. Members decided to make the 1996 show a judged contest. Each
successive show has continued to exceed expectations. The biennial shows
were changed to odd numbered years to lower the competition with many
other regional shows happening on the same schedule.
Education is
a primary focus of the Guild purpose and in 1997 the Peace River
Quilters' Guild conducted their first quilters' retreat. It was hailed
as a smashing success and each subsequent retreat has contributed to our
members' growth and enrichment. We have also been privileged to engage
many national teachers for special workshops and lectures.
By December, 1997, the guild had grown to a point requiring relocation of the weekly meetings to Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda.
In the summer of 2004, the guild applied for
and received tax-exempt status with the
In 2005 and 2007, the quilt
shows
were held at the Harold Avenue Recreation Center, because the Charlotte
County Auditorium had been destroyed by Hurricane Charley in 2004. The
2009, 2011 and 2013 shows were held at the new Charlotte Harbor Event
and Conference Center in Punta Gorda. The show was renamed to “Peace
River Quilt Festival” to avoid confusion with another group who adopted
our previous name for their show.
In 2010, the guild moved to its current location at Faith Lutheran
Church, 4005 Palm Dr, Punta Gorda, which offers better lighting,
parking, and storage facilities, as well as more space for our
ever-increasing library materials.
The guild continues
to attract new members and promote the art of quilting through classes,
retreats, workshops and lectures. The Peace River Quilters' Guild is a
growing and lively group, swelling to a membership exceeding 300 in
2009. We expect to have more wonderful and enriching times in the
future.