This project asks artists to commemorate a person, place, event, thing, or idea from Virginia or West Virginia’s history. The project will be divided into four themes that artists should consider when making their pieces: Unfinished Revolutions, Power of Place, We the People, and Virginia Experiments.

From the fight for independence in the American Revolution to the political battles of the 21st century, the history of Virginia reflects the history of the United States. The semiquincentennial of the American Revolution offers a chance to reflect on and commemorate all that has come before us as a commonwealth and a nation. Not everything in the history of Virginia is worth celebrating, but it is all worth remembering and recognizing. 

Artists are encouraged to think beyond the obvious and well-known aspects of Virginia and explore the history of people and places that have been overlooked. The history of Virginia started long before the settlement of Jamestown in 1606 and includes much more than the history of presidents born in the Commonwealth. 

Consider the Indigenous tribes who lived here before Europeans arrived. Explore the women who made their homes across the Commonwealth for centuries before they were given the right to vote. Investigate the ways that the physical landscape of Virginia has changed. Examine how the availability of food sources have shaped parts of the Commonwealth. Consider the enslaved people who were brought to and kept in the Commonwealth against their will. Think of things both big and small.

For more information on the themes and a list of resources, please look here. The Virginia Quilt Museum will also be hosting programs to help artists explore the themes and their ideas.  

Quilt Requirements

• 20 inch square quilt  (20 inches wide by 20 inches high)
• 2-dimensional works only
• 4 inch hanging sleeve attached to the back, along the top of the quilt
• Sleeve should be 1 inch from the top of the quilt and should end 1 inch from each side of the quilt
• Must include an identification label on the lower-left corner of the back of the quilt that includes:
  • Artist’s name
  • Year made
  • Artist contact information
  • Title of the quilt
• Must meet the definition of a quilt put forth by the Studio Art Quilt Associates: “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.”
• Must be an original design, no adaptions or copyrighted patterns, and must not violate any copyright laws
• No work with glitter will be accepted
• Embellishments should not protrude from the quilt more than 1 inch in any direction
• No sharp or pointed embellishments
• No highly fragile work

Image Requirements
Please take the best possible images of your piece(s). These images are how your piece(s) will be juried. The Studio Art Quilt Associates offers great tips for successful art quilt photography!  

• For each entry, submit one full-view front image
• And one detail image
• Full-view images MUST show all the edges along with a small amount of background
• Digital images must be saved as a high-quality JPEG or JPG file (No TIFF files)
• Do not use your name or initials in the filename — only use the title of the piece
  • Examples: Title of Piece Full, Title of Piece Detail1
• Selection of quilts for the project will be done based on the images you provide. Please make them the best quality possible.

Timeline

• January 15, 2024 - Online entry opens
• September 30, 2024 - Online entry closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern
• November 9, 2024 - Notifications of acceptance via email
• December 2, 2024 - Quilts must be received by Virginia Quilt Museum
• July 4, 2026 - Exhibition opens at the Virginia Quilt Museum
• December 22, 2026 - Exhibition closes at the Virginia Quilt Museum
• January 2027 to December 2028 - Exhibition travels
• February 2027 - Pieces not in traveling exhibition returned
• December 31, 2028 - Exhibition ends traveling
• February 28, 2029 - Quilts returned to artists

Shipping

• Artists are responsible for the shipping of piece(s) to the Virginia Quilt Museum
• Pieces must arrive at the Virginia Quilt Museum by December 1, 2024
• Participants will be notified when the exhibition is completed and will be responsible for picking their piece(s) or reimbursing the Virginia Quilt Museum for shipping.
  • Piece(s) will be shipped back in new packaging material. The Virginia Quilt Museum cannot store packing materials.
  • Piece(s) must be shipped back to a United States address. The Virginia Quilt Museum will not ship internationally.

Insurance

• Artists are responsible for insuring their piece(s) for the duration of the project

Jurors

Jurors will be the members of the Advisory Committee for Stitching Together History: 250 Quilts Commemorating the Commonwealth of Virginia. Committee members include quilters, artists, and academics from across Virginia. Quilts will be selected based on the theme, the topic represented, craftsmanship, and how the piece fits within the exhibition as a whole. Quilts will be selected based on the photos submitted to the call for entries. Please make sure your photos are of good quality to ensure proper judging. You may see the list of the advisory committee members here. 

Application Requirements

Artists will be require to provide the following information when submitting an entry.

• Name
• Contact Information
• Title of Piece
• Medium
• Dimensions (should be 20" x 20")
• Techniques
• Materials
• Theme (select one)
  • Unfinished Revolutions
  • We the People
  • Power of Place
  • Virginia Experiments
• Artist Statement (1,000 character limit)
• Person/place/event/idea represented in your place
• Why do you think it is important to commemorate this person/place/event/idea/thing from Virginia or West Virginia history?
• Would you like your piece to be considered for acquisition into the Virginia Quilt Museum's permanent collection?
• Is this piece a collaboration?
  • If yes, please list all collaborators and what they did.
• $40 entry fee, paid online or via check mailed to the museum

Eligibility Criteria

• Artists of all ages are welcome to submit a piece
• Artists must reside within the United States
• Artists may submit up to 3 pieces
• $40 entry fee for up to 3 pieces, non-refundable
• Anyone submitting more than one artwork should submit separate applications for each, so you can upload a detail image for each piece. Please use the coupon codes Entry2 and Entry3 when submitting your second and third entries.