The Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild (NHQG) was born out of the love and desire of African American quilting, the feeling that something needed to be done to make sure that this historic craft would be preserved, and that there was the need for a group that would bring several generations of quilters together.
It all started in 1995: Glendora Simonson, a fiber artist, was teaching a class on African American Quilting at the Newark Museum. Although the class had started as a simple quilting session filled with historical information and quilting tips, excitement grew as the students considered the different possibilities offered by fabrics. But soon the minutes were quickly stitched away as each block was pieced together. At the end of the session, Carolyn Davis, one of the participants in the class and an experienced crafter approached Glendora with the idea of starting a group that would continue the momentum started that day by meeting regularly to share more information on African American Quilting. Carolyn took the momentum further by inviting crafters in the community to her apartment to discuss various aspects of African American quilting. Shortly after, Carolyn secured a meeting space at the St. James AME Church. On March 11, 1995, after much planning and with the generosity of the St. James AME Church in Newark, NJ, the St James Quilters met for the first time. In 1995. The St James Quilters group changed its name to the Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild.
For over two decades, the NHQG has actively been involved in the greater Montclair and Newark communities providing quilt exhibits, community service through education, quilt demonstrations, and workshops for the local community. The NHQG has held five biennial Quilt Exhibitions including demonstrations at the Montclair Historical Society’s Crane House and Historic YWCA in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and the 2015 exhibit “In the Spirit of Freedom” celebrating the 20th year anniversary of the Nubian Heritage Quilters Guild. Each of these events has attracted over 300 members of the public. In addition, the group has held four quilt demonstration programs, each attended by over 100 people, at the Montclair At Museum. The Nubian Heritage Quilters group has participated in several festivals including the African American Heritage Festival in Holmdel, the Morristown Women's Festival and the Raritan Valley Heritage Festival in New Brunswick. The group has also provided quilting lessons to participants at several institutions including the Aljira Gallery, Newark, NJ (2005), the unveiling of the community “VOTE Quilt” commissioned by Senator Nia Gill (2008), the Newark Museum 100th Anniversary Celebration (2008), and the New Jersey Performing Arts (2014).
The original group has expanded and includes all who celebrate the African American quilting tradition.