Dateline April 1, 2011:  Thank you wonderful donors!  Between Crowdrise donations and offline contributions, we raised $6,010 by our April 1st deadline.  No joke, we couldn't have done it without you!

So, now we need to find three individuals who need low-cost studio space for their fiber art pursuits and we'll be ready to sign a lease and move in.  Email info@fiberartsalliance.org if you know anyone who might want to work in a creative, supportive, and energizing atmosphere!

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Yes, SEFAA is homeless. So we are asking for your donation to establish a comprehensive fiber arts center in Atlanta. Opening the SEFAA Center will allow us to most effectively champion the fiber arts, support fiber artists, and connect the fiber arts community. And, we won't be homeless anymore!

We have located 2,500 sq. ft. to lease in a central Atlanta location. Our plans are to customize the space by dividing half of the available area into three artists' studios and securing the remaining common area with a lockable door (see the schematics.) We'll also need to add outlets, relocate light switches, paint, and purchase twelve six-foot tables and fifty folding chairs.

Three words will describe our facility once we've opened our doors - vibrant, creative, community. The common, multi-purpose area will be used for SEFAA classes, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions. It will also be used for informal knit-in-type events and meetings. Fiber artists and organizations will rent the common space at low rates to teach and/or to meet, and our resident fiber artists will hold periodic open studios. Imagine a spacious, well-lit, and comfortable home away from home filled with fiber and friends. That's the center we are creating!

So you know that we're serious, here's a list of our recent accomplishments:

• we incorporated and registered as a Charitable Organization in Georgia,
• we became a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt corporation,
• we elected a talented and enthusiastic Board of Directors,
• nine fiber organizations and 40 individuals are SEFAA members,
• our e-newsletter distribution list has grown to over 400,
• we've established a strong on-line presence through our website, blog, and Facebook and Twitter pages
• we have begun offering classes, workshops, and seminars,
• we just completed a grant from Grassroots.org for consulting services to polish off our business plan, and
• we are working with students from the Art Institute of Atlanta to update our website.

Not bad for our first year and a half!