History of EGA
EGA is a not-for-profit corporation operating and existing under the laws of the State of Kentucky.
EGA headquarters in Louisville, KY is staffed by five employees, with the facility open Monday thru Friday, 8:30am - 5pm
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The Embroiderers' Guild of America (EGA), was formed for the express purpose of fostering the art of needlework and associated arts. EGA seeks to promote cooperation and the exchange of ideas among those who are engaged in needlework throughout the world by encouraging a high standard of design and technique in embroidery. EGA provides a center to be used as a bureau of education and information regarding the art of embroidery for all guild members. It is our purpose to conduct instruction and research in the art of needlework and to distribute related materials and publications to members and to the public.
EGA was established in New York in 1958 as a branch of The Embroiderers' Guild of London (established 1906). EGA withdrew from the London Guild in 1970 and The Embroiderers' Guild of America came into being. EGA is made up of:
- 13 regions across the US and Canada
- a total of 340 chapters
- 1 cyberspace chapter
- international representation among the nearly 16,000 members.
Membership in EGA is open to anyone interested in embroidery from the beginner to the professional. Members work within local chapters or a member-at-large network to improve their skills and knowledge. Also, the organization and individual members are involved with museums for education and preservation purposes. EGA offers individual and group correspondence courses, teacher and judge certification programs as well as nine separate disciplines in master craftsman programs. To provide a broad scope of the needlework industry, EGA and its chapters regularly invite internationally recognized artists to hold workshops in this country. EGA sponsors a national exhibit every three years with both members and non-members submitting pieces for the juried exhibit which ultimately travels for two years to various venues throughout the country. Many pieces of embroidery created today qualify as fiber art.
EGA is dedicated to an organized outreach program to reach out to and share with our communities. All regions and chapters are responsible for establishing and maintaining such a program using embroidery to benefit their own communities. Significant contributions have been made throughout the country to The American Heart Association, Women's Heart Health Research and Habitat for Humanity. In 1995 and 1996 EGA was given the honor of producing needlework ornaments for the White House Christmas tree. EGA members from all 50 states contributed their talents to this project.
EGA's Headquarters houses a textile collection of nearly 900 pieces acquired through the generous donations of members and others who recognize the organization's dedication to the preservation of textiles and the promotion and education of needle arts. The collection, established as a resource for study and research, is made available to the membership for study as well as for exhibits, various official EGA sponsored events and for museum exhibits. The Margaret Parshall Gallery displays needlework on a rotating schedule from EGA's chapters and regions, as well as individuals and non-EGA groups. The Leslie Durst Gallery displays pieces from the EGA Collection. The galleries, located at 426 West Jefferson in Louisville, KY, are open to the public.
EGA is a proud member of the International Council of Needlework Associations (ICNA). ICNA was created, a summit meeting of ten related organizations hosted by EGA in Louisville, KY in 1990. ICNA's mission is to support the art of embroidery by providing a forum for the dissemination of information, while maintaining the integrity of the individual member organizations.
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