Quilt National 2023 The Best of Contemporary Quilts

The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio presents Quilt National ’23, some of the best contemporary fine art quilts from around the world. For over 40 years, this show has consistently displayed new forms of experimentation and development in fabric art, extending the definition of the ‘quilt.’

Quilt National ‘23 was juried by Dr. Carolyn L. Mazloomi, Chiaki Dosho, and Irene L. Roderick. The jury selected 81 quilts out of 673 submissions to showcase in this year’s 45th Quilt National Exhibition. Quilt National ‘23 excitingly brings 43 returning artists and 38 artists that have never exhibited in previous Quilt Nationals. CMA is excited to present collections A & C from the 2023 selections.
In the late 1970s Athens, Ohio, was home to numerous talented artists. Included among this group were Nancy Crow, Françoise Barnes and Virginia Randles. These and other area artists were using fabric to create works that were pieced, layered, stitched and stuffed. These works were “quilts” by virtue of their structure, although they were intended to be viewed on a vertical plane. The original designs and use of innovative techniques and color combinations made them unacceptable to the organizers of traditional quilt shows who were most interested in beautifully crafted bed covers with recognizable patterns. The only exhibit opportunities for these artists were in mixed media fiber shows alongside baskets and weavings. Crow and Barnes recognized the need for an appropriate showcase for what are now known as “art quilts.” They were just two of a dedicated group of volunteers who decided to organize an exhibit devoted entirely to this relatively new breed of contemporary quilt. Fortunately, this need coincided with the efforts of area artists and art lovers to preserve an abandoned dairy barn.

The barn was built in 1914 as part of a farm complex situated on grounds belonging to the state-owned mental health facility, the barn had served as part of the activities therapy program. Artists and others in the Athens community felt that the barn had the potential for a second life. Quilt National was intended to demonstrate the transformations taking place in the world of quilting. Its purpose was then, and still is, to carry the definition of quilting far beyond its traditional parameters and to promote quiltmaking as what it always has been — an art form. The works in a Quilt National exhibit display a reverence for the lessons taught by the makers of the heritage quilts.

Many of the works hold fast to the traditional methods of piecing and patching. At the same time, however, the Quilt National artist is intrigued by the challenge of expanding the boundaries of traditional quiltmaking by utilizing the newest materials and technologies. These innovative works generate strong emotional responses in the viewer while at the same time fulfilling the creative need of the artist to make a totally individual statement.