Quilt Block Designs Sought: Each County Will Be Represented In Bicentennial Project

August 10, 2021, will mark the 200th anniversary of Missouri’s establishment as the 24th state to join the United States of America.

To help commemorate this historic event, the State Historical Society of Missouri was asked by the 97th General Assembly to “guide and direct a statewide effort to promote and celebrate the State of Missouri’s rich and complex history.”

There are several state-wide programs planned for the bicentennial, including initiatives to celebrate Missouri’s community traditions, art, photography, history, foods and creativity.

Although 2021 is still two years away, some of the programs planned involve local and regional contests which are launching this year.  One such activity is the creation of a Missouri Bicentennial Quilt.

The Missouri Bicentennial Quilt will be created using one quilt square from each county. The county squares will begin at 6.5 inches and be finished down to 6-inch-by-6-inch blocks.

Quilters from the Missouri Star Quilt Company will assemble the blocks into a finished quilt which will be shown in Jefferson City and at various events during the bicentennial year. Each county square will feature or represent some unique characteristic of that area’s geography, culture, history, etc.

 Ste. Genevieve quilters who would like to submit a quilt block for consideration as the Ste. Genevieve county submission to the state bicentennial quilt will have until July 31 to submit an entry. Each entry will consist of two quilt blocks, sized 6.5 inches by 6.5 inches, using cotton fabric and containing no copyrighted images.

Quilt blocks can be placed in a zip-sealed plastic bag and dropped off at the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center. Entries should include the quilter’s name, contact information and a brief description of the design and what it represents as a unique entry for Ste. Genevieve County.

A panel of independent judges will evaluate the entries and select a winner. The remaining entries will be eligible to be included in a Ste. Genevieve County Bicentennial Quilt to be displayed locally.

Quilt block entries can be submitted at the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center, 66 S. Main St., seven days a week.

Other contests planned for the 2021 Bicentennial include a photo contest, a penny collecting contest for elementary schools, and the Show-Me Award for middle school and high school history students.

For more information about the 2021 Missouri Bicentennial please visit www.missouri2021.org.

(Information in a release from the Ste. Genevieve Welcome Center.)

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