Nationally recognized quilter Ricky Tims makes Branson West his new home; public lecture announced for May 3, 2026

Branson has long been home to celebrated performers and entertainers, and the region now welcomes a particularly distinctive kind of artist. Ricky Tims, an internationally recognized quilter, author, musician and educator, has recently made Branson West his new home after more than a quarter century living and working in Southern Colorado.

To introduce Tims to the Table Rock Lake community, the Table Rock Quilt Guild will host a public lecture titled “A Quilt Is Born” on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the event center at New Testament Christian Church in Reeds Spring, Missouri. The public is invited to mark their calendars for this special event.

Advance tickets will be $20, with additional details regarding ticket availability to be announced.

Tims (Photo submittted)

The upcoming lecture, "A Quilt Is Born," will trace the evolution of Tims’ award-winning quilt, "The Visitation," exploring its inspiration, design development, construction process and the artistic decisions that shaped the final work. The quilt earned Best of Show at the 2025 International Quilt Festival Houston, the highest honor awarded at one of the world’s most prestigious quilting competitions. Along the way, Tims weaves in humorous, inspiring and thought-provoking anecdotes drawn from his real-life stories and adventures, making the presentation an engaging and entertaining afternoon for quilters and non-quilters alike.

Tims is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in contemporary quilting. He has been designated as one of the world’s Thirty Most Distinguished Quilters and was voted The Most Influential Person in the Quilting Industry in a readers’ poll conducted by Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine, in a three-way tie with Karey Bresenhan, founder of Quilts Inc., and Alex Anderson, his longtime co-host on the online quilting television series The Quilt Show(www.thequiltshow.com), which has produced more than 450 episodes since its launch in 2007.

Beyond the quilting world, Tims has reached mainstream audiences as well. He was featured on CBS News Sunday Morning, the beloved national broadcast known for profiling artists and cultural innovators across disciplines.

Over the course of his career, Tims has taught quilting in more than twenty-five countries on six continents, earning a reputation for presentations that blend visual artistry, storytelling, humor and musical elements. His engaging style offers audiences a rare behind-the-scenes look at creativity, craftsmanship and the personal stories that shape meaningful works of art.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Ricky to the Ozarks,” says Christy Donner, a representative of the Table Rock Quilt Guild and coordinator of the event. “His presence enriches our local creative community, and this lecture offers a wonderful opportunity for the public to experience his work and his storytelling first-hand.”

Additional event details will be announced closer to the date.