Quilt National ’27

Quilt National ’27 explores the expanded field of quilting, showcasing textile-based contemporary art and fiber as a medium for material inquiry. The exhibition features works that interrogate surface, structure, labor, gender, and politics. These quilts merge craft, design, and fine art, repositioning quilt-making within contemporary art discourse.

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More info and links to apply

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: May 1 - August 30, 2026

ON VIEW: May 29 - September 5, 2027

OPENING RECEPTION: May 28, 2027 from 5pm-8pm

TOURING DATES: September 2027 - October 2029

Entry fees are $50 (USD) per artist, $35 (USD) for Dairy Barn Members, and waived for first-time applicants to Quilt National.

QUILT NATIONAL’S DEFINITION OF A QUILT:

• The piece must be predominately fiber or fabric-like material and must be composed of at least two layers – a face layer and a backing layer. 
• The face layer may be described by any or a combination of the following terms: pieced, appliquéd, whole cloth, or stitched/fused to a foundation. 
• The face and backing layers must be held together by stitches or other elements that merge all layers and are distributed throughout the surface of the artwork.

ELIGIBILITY

The artwork:

• Meets the structural requirements of a quilt as stated above
• Has not and will not appear in any local, regional, national, or international exhibition, including but not limited to group, solo, curated, invitational, and juried exhibitions before May 28, 2027
• Has not and will not appear in a print publication that has national or international distribution before September 30, 2026. (Posting on social media is permissible)
• Was completed after August 30, 2024. The recent modification of an older or previously dated work does not make the work eligible unless the artist can provide documentation of significant differences between the original and the revised versions of the piece
• must be independently created. The work cannot be a result of a specific assignment made in a class or workshop.
• The artwork must be an original design, not a copy or a variation, of the original design of another artist's artwork in any medium.
• Is created by independent effort, unless collaborator(s) is listed. A collaborator is defined as a person who has artistic and/or intellectual say in the design and/or conception of this quilt.  
• Is completed and not a work in progress. 
• There are no size limitations on the quilt. The maximum height of a quilt that can be hung is 115”. If your piece exceeds 115” in height, please include an image of an alternative display in your entry.