Quilt National 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 quiltmaking within contemporary art discourse.

OPENING RECEPTION: MAY 28, 2027 4-7PM
ON VIEW: MAY 29 – SEPTEMBER 6, 2027
ON TOUR: OCTOBER 2027 – OCTOBER 2029

Heather Akerberg
Mary Lou Alexander
Catherine Beard
Anne Bellas
Rodger Blum
Susan Braverman
Mindy Brown
Lisa Call
Jennifer Candon
Beth Carney
Sharon Carrier
Maryte Collard
Nancy Cordry
Phyllis Cullen
Susan Downing-White
Heike Dressler
Audrey Esarey
Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry
Monica Fernandez
Andrea Finch
Stephanie Gagne
Valerie Goodwin
Julia  Graziano
Lynn Harris
Annika Hart
Sharon Henderson
Eliu Hernandez

Annie Hudnut
Chriss Johns
Emily C Johnson
Lauri Jones
Phil Jones
Mattea Jurin
Lauren Klementz-Harte
Pat Kroth
Kristin La Flamme
Phong Chi  Lai
Sara Lamb
David & Karen Lane
Mackenzie Leake
Eunhee  Lee
Zwia Lipkin
Niraja Lorenz
Gloria  Loughman
Valerie Maser-Flanagan
Brent  McGee
Diane Melms
Sarah Ruth Morris
Anne Muñoz
Carolyn Murphy
Kathy Nida
Carolina Oneto
Laurie Paquin
Anne Parker

Katie Pasquini
Pat Pauly
Sarah J Pavlik
Sue Reno
Patricia Reynolds Heath
Irene  Roderick
Charan Sachar
Laura Shaw
Stephanie Shore
Steph Skardal
Juli Smith
Amanda Snavely
Jan Soules
Kelly Spell
Linda Steele
Ivy Strauss
Timna Tarr
Christine Tedesco
Émilie Trahan
Jackie Tu
Marge Tucker
Leslie Tucker Jenison
Lenny van Eijk
Geraldine Warner
Jean Wells
Haley Younce

QUILT NATIONAL HISTORY

Since its debut in 1979, Quilt National has played a pivotal role in redefining what quilts can be—transforming them from traditional bedcovers into powerful works of contemporary art with global reach. Born out of a need for a space that welcomed experimental, boundary‑pushing fiber work that mainstream shows often ignored, the exhibition became a platform for artists to challenge conventions of craft, identity, and visual language.

The Quilt National Archive documents this evolution, tracing how generations of makers expanded quiltmaking to include personal narratives, feminist perspectives, and socio‑political inquiry, helping to legitimize textile practice within the broader art world. By preserving and celebrating these works and their histories, Quilt National not only honors the innovators who reshaped the medium but also inspires new voices to use cloth and stitch as tools for storytelling, resistance, and community building.

• Instagram

For questions regarding Quilt National, contact
Erin McKenna, Exhibitions Director
exhibitions@dairybarn.org

Located in the Appalachian foothills of Southeast Ohio

8000 Dairy Lane
Athens, Ohio 45701

GALLERY HOURS:
Wednesday: 12pm-5pm
Thursday: 12pm-5pm
Friday: 12pm-5pm
Saturday: 12pm-5pm
Sunday: 12pm-5pm

PARKING
We offer free parking for guests in our on-site parking lot, as well as four accessible parking spaces.