The West Virginia Division of Culture and History invites West Virginia quilters to enter the annual Quilts and Wall Hangings Juried Exhibition. This year’s exhibition will open Friday, May 27, with an awards ceremony at the annual Vandalia Gathering at the Culture Center on the State Capitol Complex. The free summer-long exhibition will be displayed through Sept. 6.
Mailed entries for the 2016 quilt exhibition will be accepted at the Culture Center from Apr. 8 through Apr. 22. Hand-delivered entries must be received on Apr. 12 and 13 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. unless other arrangements have been made. Quilts that are selected for show will be on display May 27 until Sept. 6.
“The quilt exhibition in the Great Hall is one of our most popular and colorful exhibitions,” said Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the Division of Culture and History. “Visitors from around the country enjoy the fine handiwork of West Virginians whose creativity and appreciation of tradition are showcased in the quilts and wall hangings we feature.”
Quilts and wall hangings, handmade or machine made, by West Virginia residents are eligible for the exhibition. Special consideration will be given to hand-quilted entries. Entrants may submit one quilt and one wall hanging. There is a nonrefundable fee of $20 per entry. Quilts and wall hangings shown previously in a Division of Culture and History Quilts and Wall Hangings juried exhibition are not eligible.
Awards are presented for first place ($750), second ($400) and third ($300) in the following categories: pieced quilts, appliqued quilts and quilts made with mixed/other techniques. Wall hangings will receive $400 for first place, $300 for second and $200 for third.
In addition, a Best of Show prize of $100 may be awarded by the juror. Honorable mention or other non-monetary awards are given at the discretion of the judge. The Division of Culture and History will provide two Purchase Awards and add the purchased quilt and wall hanging to the West Virginia State Museum collection.
There will be a quilting workshop on May 6. More information on the workshop will be announced in March.
The prospectus and entry information for the 2016 Quilts and Wall Hangings Juried Exhibition can be downloaded at www.wvculture.org/museum.
For more information about the Quilts and Wall Hangings exhibit or to request a printed prospectus, contact Cailin Howe, exhibits coordinator, at 304-558-0220 or cailin.a.howe@wv.gov.
The WV Division of Culture and History is an agency within the WV Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, cabinet secretary. The division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
