Kentucky's 2020 Census Quilt to be Unveiled Monday

Since the US Census takes place every ten years, the next one will be conducted next year, and to celebrate, a unique quilt will be on display at the National Quilt Museum, starting Monday, and will eventually travel all over the state. 

The quilt, created by the Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association, will feature one square from each of Kentucky's 120 counties, demonstrating that each county matters and every resident must be counted to make sure Kentucky has appropriate representation and federal funding. 

The quilt will be unveiled at the quilt museum at 2 pm Monday, and the event is open to the public. The quilt will stay on exhibit through September 21st, commemorating Constitution Week. The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, as delegates of the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the document and secure the freedoms of Americans then and now.

“We are honored to be the first location to get the 2020 Census Quilt. It will be exhibited in our galleries alongside some of the most respected and admired quilt and fiber art in the world,” stated National Quilt Museum CEO, Frank Bennett.

After leaving the quilt museum, the quilt will travel across the state, visiting many public libraries, and will end its tour at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives in Frankfort, Kentucky. Everyone who visits a public library to see the quilt is encouraged to complete the census questionnaire while they are there.

In addition to providing critical data to federal and state governments related to representation and funding, the data from the census is used by public and private sector organizations in making decisions about demographic considerations, allocation of resources, and long-term planning. The census information is important to destination attractions like The National Quilt Museum because it impacts funding sources and ultimately informs decisions related to long-term sustainability.

In recognition of Constitution Day on September 17, organizations across the state will host 2020 Census events: 

* The Kentucky Community and Technical College System and several of Kentucky’s public and independent colleges and universities hosting census-related lectures, forums, recruitment tables, and fun online census trivia for students. 

* The Kentucky State Data Center will hold its statewide affiliates meeting on September 17 via webinar and will include updates from Census Bureau Partnership Specialists and Data Dissemination Specialists.

*Kentucky Youth Advocates, an affiliate of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is launching a Statistics in Schools Sweepstakes offering teachers a chance to win $500 for their school by using any of the Census Bureaus’ free Statistics in Schools activities in their classroom during Constitution Week. Visit kyyouth.org for details about sweepstakes participation.

For more information about the 2020 Census, please visit www.2020census.gov