Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics is a fascinating documentary series that explores quilts in new ways by taking you behind the scenes to reveal the unique position of quilts at the center of American culture. Originally released on DVD in 2011, the nine-part series was created by The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc., a non-profit organization that created the first of the state quilt documentation projects in the 1980s. 

Executive Producer and Host for the Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics series, Shelly Zegart, a co-founder of The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc., The Alliance for American Quilts, and an expert at the forefront of quilt study for over three decades, created the first series for television to show the world that quilts are bigger than people think. 

With Zegart’s recent passing in July 2025 in Louisville, KY, we wanted to revisit this series and take a moment to recognize her continued impact on the research and scholarship of quilts. We will be showing the Why Quilts Matter episodes “What is Art?” and “Empowering Women One Quilt at a Time”; all episodes are available streaming on ket.org.

Host Kathleen Loomis (right) will introduce the series and facilitate a brief discussion afterward. Kathy has been making quilts since high school, well before they became popular as an art form. About 30 years ago she switched her focus from functional quilts to those intended as art. In recent years she has branched out from quilts to mixed media, including collage, 3-D assemblage and hand stitching. She is a member of the artist co-op PYRO Gallery in Louisville. Kathy is one of the founders of the Form, Not Function art quilt exhibition at the Carnegie Library Cultural Arts Center.

Free and open to the public, reservations are requested.