National Exhibition 2011

In 2011, the Irish Patchwork Society will be 30 years old. To celebrate this achievement the IPS is planning to organise a Special National Exhibition to take place that year.

Also in 2011, the World's Craft Council will be hosting its General Assembly in Ireland so the Crafts Council of Ireland has decided that 2011 will be the 'Year of Craft'.

To celebrate these two events, the IPS would like to promote patchwork and quilting throughout the country.

The IPS would like all branches to hold their own exhibitions in 2011. Ideally, the branch exhibitons should be finished by May 2011, so that most of these quilts can go on to be part of the Special National Exhibition celebrating 30 years.

The venue for the national exhibition will be the Botanic Gardens. The final date for this is to be confirmed.

The theme will be: 'BRANCHING OUT'. As the exhibition will be in the Botanic Gardens, entries should be related to an environmental, plant or nature-based theme.

The Western Branch is considering holding a branch exhibition in April 2011 to comply with this request, eventhough we normally only exhibit every second year and would not be due to do so until 2012. The committee is currently investigating possible exhibition venues in Galway and further information will be available shortly.