July 31st, 2020

Kansas City Art Institute
A message from Kim Eichler-Messmer, Kansas City Art Institute :

I am writing to you as a representative of the Kansas City Art Institute Fiber Department. In light of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we are working to prepare for the fall semester and the possibility of teaching classes online. We are looking for donations of sewing machines in good working order. We have many students that rely on our shared departmental sewing machines to create their work. This fall semester we have three classes that will be relying on sewing: I'm teaching a quilting class, local artist Hadley Clark is teaching an introduction to sewing class, and Associate Professor Marie Bannerot McInerney is teaching our Junior major studio class that will be covering three-dimensional sewing techniques for texture and sculptural forms. 

Should we have to move to online teaching we will not have enough sewing machines to provide each student with their own to take home for the semester. Any sewing machine would be welcome, no matter what brand or age, as long as it runs. KCAI is a nonprofit institution of higher education and can provide documentation to make any donation tax-deductible. 
 
 ScrapsKC
 
A message from Rebecca Fulton, ScrapsKC:

I am the textile manager at Scraps KC, a non-profit creative reuse center here in Kansas City. We have a huge textile department and get some really great new and vintage donations.

We rely on volunteers to help sort and measure fabric, notions, yarn, etc. Please let me know if you have some members who have a few hours a week to volunteer. Volunteers receive a 20% discount on days they volunteer!

We are specifically looking for up to 4 volunteers each day Mon, Tue, Thurs, or Fri from 12-2 or 2-4 (or 12-4).