Genesee Valley Quilt Club

Genesee Valley Quilt Club(GVQC) is one of the oldest continually meeting quilt clubs in America. The first meeting in January 1936 was sponsored by the Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC). The club started with eleven members. GVQC was organized by Mrs. Gladys Reid Holton who was curator of the History of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

In the 1930’s, the club mission statement was to unite individual experience and thus be able to give inspiration to those would like to make better quilts. The club motto “Help One Another” was the foundation on which today’s traditions were built. “Help One Another” extends beyond the borders of the club as GVQC has a long history of community service. During WWII quilts, toys, and monetary donations were made to the British War Relief, the Red Cross, and the Russian War Relief. Today, through its Love and Comfort Project, members extend a hand to those in need through donation of hundredsof quilts each year.

Besides helping others, the club has felt its most important activity is displaying quilts. Since 1936, GVQC has hosted or participated in quilt exhibits. Early displays were held at the Rochester Museum and Science Center. In recent years, the biennial Quilt Show is held at Rochester Institute of Technology. Please join us in May 2026 for our next QuiltFest.

The mission of GVQC is to promote quilting through activities within the community. The club located in Rochester draws members from Finger Lakes, Central NY and Western NY regions. The membership represents a wide range of quilting skills from beginner to advanced, all types of quilting and interests, including traditional, contemporary, modern and art, both hand and machine quilting. Although a few members have been recognized in prestigious juried national quilt shows, all the members enjoy learning and sharing their love of quilting together. Membership is currently 280 members. New members are always welcome. Please feel free to visit our website at http://gvqc.org.

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