In 2011, thirty years since its founding, The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc., has created another “first” – a nine-part documentary series titled Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics. The series takes a fresh look at quilts and spreads the word about their unique position at the center of a startlingly broad grid of topics, ranging from women’s studies to the contemporary art market.

Executive Producer and Host for the series, Shelly Zegart, a co-founder of The Kentucky Quilt Project, Inc., The Alliance for American Quilts, and an expert at the forefront of quilt study for over three decades, has created the first series for television to show the world that quilts are bigger than people think. Using hundreds of examples from quilt makers past and present, Zegart introduces viewers to a group of enlightened academics, savvy dealers, and passionate quilt makers who share their personal stories, experiences and opinions.

On January 8 at 10:30 a.m., witf will be airing the first episode in this nine-part series titled "What is a quilt?" This episode introduces the audience to the brave new world of the American quilt, where that question has many different answers. If a "real" quilt is a three-layer fabric sandwich sewn together and folded over a bed, how do we define the quilt that is an amalgamation of fabric, photography, print making and other media, and hangs on a gallery wall? Our experts contribute varying perspectives, setting the stage for the complexity of the series’ larger topic: Why quilts matter and how they relate to history, art and politics. This episode also takes a look at judgments of quality in the quilt world. Learn what makes one antique quilt more valuable and important than another, and why contemporary quilts are judged by a very different set of standards. To close the episode, experts provide practical suggestions for quilt fans who want to develop their "eye" for a great quilt. In short, it’s Quilts 101, and the perfect introduction to a surprisingly complex subject.