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 art, repositioning quilt-making within contemporary art discourse.
KEY DATES
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: May 1 – August 30, 2026
NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTED WORK: October 9, 2026
EXHIBITION AGREEMENT DUE: October 16, 2026
ARTWORK DELIVERY: October 23, 2026
ON VIEW: May 28 – September 5, 2027
OPENING RECEPTION: May 28, 2027 from 5pm-8pm
TOURING DATES: September 2027 – October 2029
ARTWORK RETURNED BY: November 2029
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
- 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 prior to May 28, 2027
- Has not and will not appear in a print publication that has national or international distribution prior to September 30th 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
- The work must be independently created. The work cannot be a result of a specific assignment made in a class, 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 alternative display in your entry.
ENTRY FEE
Entry fees are $50 (USD) per artist, $35 (USD) for Dairy Barn Members, and waived for first-time applicants to Quilt National. The fee is non-refundable and covers submission of up to three works, with one full-view image and up to three detail images allowed per work. Submission fees directly support Quilt National exhibition programming, including jurying, installation, documentation, and public engagement initiatives.