Participating in Contests & Exhibits

By participating in contests and exhibits, quilters can develop more recognition in the quilt world. Your work will be judged with and by your colleagues and your name will become better known.

Some exhibits require that your quilt be juried before it’s accepted for display. You receive a great feeling of achievement when yours is among those the judges like. However, don’t feel you’ve lost if yours isn’t accepted. Sometimes a judge’s likes and dislikes is the final factor, after you pass the workmanship competition.
Other exhibits and contests accept quilts and hangings without pre-judging. The quilts may be awarded ribbons for first, second, third, and best of show in various categories. I’ve been a judge at one of these shows.

Another type of exhibit involves a quilting group or organization holding a show where any of the members can display their work. There are no awards given, only the reward of showing your work to the public and getting to meet and share with those who come to see what you’re doing. Possibly the quilt work is for sale; but it doesn’t have to be.

My daughter belongs to a small quilting group that arranged an exhibit when our village held an annual art show on the town square. Their quilts were displayed in a meeting room of a church on the square with church art in a room above. It was well promoted so they had many people stop by to see traditional and modern quilting and patchwork. Later they were invited to display their work at a gallery.

Investigate where you can participate in exhibits and contests, or arrange one with your quilting group.©2006

(If you have questions or information to share, e-mail me: me.allen@juno.com. Type “quilt blog” in the subject line.)