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ABOUT THE FIBRE ART NETWORK
(formerly named: Western Canadian Art Quilters' Co-operative)
A brief history:
In the summer of 1997, Gail Hunt sent a letter to approximately 50 art quilters in Western Canada, soliciting their opinions on whether they needed/wanted a working co-operative. About 42 responded and about 37 of those initial contacts did become members.
(We currently have 55 members.) That first letter outlined an organization that would
work co-operatively (i.e. sharing the work of running the organization) for our mutual benefit, to support
each other and communicate, perhaps work on special projects, without a lot of meetings or "red tape".
After the initial positive response,
Interested quilters completed surveys which helped shape the character of the organization further. In the first year, together with alternate editors, Gail produced a monthly newsletter for members,
on a diverse range of subjects of interest to working art quilters.
In 1998, at the Quilt Canada conference in Vancouver, 23 of us were able to
meet to decide on some policy issues.
We decided at that meeting:
1. that we would individually keep a record of time given to the co-operative's operation.
2. that membership and treasury would continue to be tended by Betty Louden.
3. that we would pursue a juried, themed, biennial travelling show for members (First show opening in the summer of 2000 at the Penticton Art Gallery.)
4. that we would
maintain a members' slide portfolio for the purposes of publicity and marketing.
5. that we would organize an annual retreat to allow us to get together to network, share/critique our work, and it would
have a small educational component.
6. that our goal is "to promote quilting as an art form and ourselves (each other) as artists in Western Canada"
A phone survey determined that the average
number of working hours given to the cooperative by each respondent was 25 hours for the year. If that estimate could be generalized to all members, each of us needs to be able to commit 2 hours per month on co-op work. Some
creative members have invented their own jobs, and some want to be told what to do.
Other projects undertaken by the co-operative are marketing opportunities and the group printing of art cards.
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