African American Quilt Museum and Textile Academy will host the first ever National African American Quilt Conference, a citywide event in celebration of the history and legacy of African Americans in Lawrence, the African American quilting tradition, and contemporary art in various mediums by African American artists. Plans for the Conference include Keynote Speaker Faith Ringgold, exhibitions, and demonstrations of various art forms in the Cultural District, including the Lawrence Public Library, Watkins Museum, and the Spencer Museum of Art, educational programming for children and adults, and historical walks and tours.

For more information about the National African American Quilt Conference, please visit www.naaqc.org/.

In conjunction with of the conference, The Lawrence Arts Center will be hosting the exhibitions of works by Bisa Butler, Sonji Hunt, and Lola Jenkins from June 30 through July 16. In addition, the group exhibition “Boldly Stiched: Contemporary Art Quilts” will be on display from July 12 thru August 19.