Sponsor the Quilt

If you read my September 11th story, you know that my feelings of helplessness about the September 11, 2001 events caused me to reach out to my own community and to the world community at large by creating the September 11 Quilts memorial. September 11 Quilts has grown immensely since inception. To date, more than one hundred ten people have registered to make quilts and new inquiries come in almost daily. There have been numerous requests to exhibit the quilts. One exhibition has already taken place at "The Quilt and Sewing Fest" in Myrtle Beach, SC, April 25-27. Four other exhibitions are scheduled this year, in Skillman, NJ, Ft. Washington, PA, Santa Clara, CA, and Yokohama, Japan. Exhibition proposals in Manhattan are still being considered.

To accommodate the requests for exhibitions and to give people all over the world an opportunity to view the quilts, I needed a fiscal sponsor so that I could raise funds to help with the exhibition and administrative costs. Fiscal sponsorship is an affiliation between a tax-exempt organization and an individual like myself who has developed a project like September 11 Quilts. This affiliation enables me to pursue grants and contributions from government agencies, private foundations, corporations, and tax deductible funds from individuals. September 11 Quilts is a Fiscal sponsorship project of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), with funding provided in part by the American Craft Council, and the Manhattan Community Arts Fund/New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, administered by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

LMCC is a non-profit art organization committed to serving artists and audiences in the financial district and throughout the diverse neighborhoods and cultural communities of Manhattan. LMCC was founded nearly 30 years ago as the World Trade Center was being built. Their former offices were located in the World Trade Center, and they experienced the September 11 tragedies first hand. LMCC lost their office space, all of their possessions, and many of their their downtown exhibition venues, but they also lost one of their artists, Michael Richards. He was working in his World Trade Center studio space at the time of the attacks.

Since September 11, LMCC has relocated, and in the wake of the World Trade Center disaster, they believe their role in the community is more important than ever. LMCC is committed to enduring and becoming an even greater part of the cultural life of Manhattan. LMCC's commitment can be seen in their support of September 11 Quilts. In addition to its role as fiscal sponsor, LMCC is also working with me to arrange exhibitions of the quilts in Manhattan. The possibilities include the World Trade Center, the World Financial Center, Battery Park, South Street Seaport, Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center, and other locations. Ultimately, I would like to exhibit the quilts at the World Trade Center site, after the debris has been cleared and before any new construction begins. If approved, this exhibition would be similar to exhibitions of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Of course, an exhibition of this kind depends on many factors that are still unknown.

The quilts have already started to arrive. They require proper care and insurance. To exhibit the quilts in different venues, even in Manhattan, requires that the quilts be shipped or transported and hung at the exhibitions. This takes money. There are also administrative and operating costs associated with the day-to-day logistics of the project. I can no longer handle this project alone. If you or anyone that you know would like to help me by sponsoring the quilt, contributions to September 11 Quilts are greatly appreciated.

To make a tax deductible donation in any amount, checks should be made payable to the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council or LMCC. A notation should appear on the check indicating that you are donating the money for the September 11 Quilts memorial. These funds should be sent directly to:

           Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
           145 Hudson Street, Suite 801
           New York, New York 10013-2103.

This project will not only provide important documentation of the September 11 tragedies; it will help people all around the world mourn the tremendous losses and human tragedies of that day. This has been a very rewarding and unforgettable experience for me. I am doing something that is making a difference. I hope you will join me in this endeavor and I thank you in advance for your support.