Embroiderers' Guild of America


The Embroiderers' Guild of America, headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is an organization dedicated to "fostering the art of needlework and associated arts." Its members practice any and all forms of needlework, and are dedicated to education and community outreach. EGA has chapters throughout the United States. Chapters are organized into regions. Events are organized at all levels of the organization.
Membership in EGA is open to anyone interested in embroidery from the beginner to the professional. Members work within local chapters or a member-at-large network to improve their skills and knowledge. Also, the organization and individual members are involved with museums for education and preservation purposes. EGA offers individual and group correspondence courses, teacher and judge certification programs as well as master craftsman programs.
The Guild's definition of embroidery is intentionally un-confining: anything made "using a needle with an eye in it". In 2006 The national guild has 9,000 members organized in 295 local chapters in 13 regions.
The Guild was established in New York in 1958 as a branch of The Embroiderers' Guild of London but withdrew in 1970 and the Embroiderers' Guild of America came into being.
The organization's head office in Louisville includes a gallery for displays from its permanent collection and changing exhibits of embroidery.