Breakout: Quilt Visions 2016

Breakout: Quilt Visions 2016 is the 14th international juried exhibition produced by the Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts + Textiles (VAM). The exhibition will be presented at Visions Art Museum in San Diego, California. The jurors will select work that exemplifies innovation in quilting and surface design techniques as well as excellence in composition and craftsmanship. A full color exhibition catalog will be published.

Elizabeth Busch is an internationally known, award-winning artist who has been creating painted quilts for over 30 years. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she has a long and distinguished career designing public art installations and kinetic sculptures for major institutions across the United States. Her hand stitched, painted quilts have won numerous awards including Quilt National Best in Show (1989) and the Quilts Japan Award at Quilt National (2003). Busch’s quilts have been the subject of numerous articles and publications and are in collections in several countries. In addition to her teaching schedule, Busch has been a juror for various art quilt exhibitions such as Quilts=Art=Quilts at the Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center in Auburn, New York, and Quilt National in Athens, Ohio.

Katie Pasquini Masopust has produced contemporary art quilts that have been collected for nearly 30 years. From her beginnings as a painter dabbling in traditional quilt making, her work has evolved from structured Mandalas and dimensional pieces to painterly landscapes. Katie’s easy, energetic manner has made her a popular teacher and lecturer. She travels worldwide teaching her contemporary quilting theories and techniques. In 2005 she received the prestigious Silver Star Award presented by the International Quilt Festival, Houston. A prolific author, Katie shares her enthusiasm for the art of creative quilting through her books, her classes, and now as executive director of Alegre Retreat held at Gateway Canyons Resort in Colorado each year.

Marci Rae McDade is the editor of Surface Design Journal and former editor of FiberArts magazine. Over the past decade, she has independently curated several contemporary art exhibitions in the US and juried textile-arts exhibitions internationally. McDade received an MFA in fiber and material studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2007), and a BA in film and video production from Columbia College Chicago (1993). She is a mentor and instructor in the MFA Applied Craft and Design Program, co-sponsored by the Oregon College of Art and Craft and the Pacific Northwest College of Art in her hometown of Portland, Oregon.

There are numerous cash awards.

Visions Art Museum Artist Members may submit up to three (3) entries of high quality contemporary art quilts in any medium for a juried exhibition.

• Entries must have been completed on or after January 1, 2014.
• Only one (1) quilt by each artist can be selected.
• An entry is considered to be a quilt if it is composed of at least two layers that are stitched or fastened together.
• Quilts for sale are strongly encouraged and preferred; however, NFS (Not for Sale) works may be entered.
• The maximum width of finished quilts may not exceed 72 inches. There is no minimum size.
• Due to the hanging system at the Museum and limited floor space, framed or stretched work and 3D work cannot be accommodated in this exhibition.

• Submit one overall digital image and one detail digital image for each piece of artwork.
• Digital images must be saved as a high quality JPEG file (No TIFF files).
• Finished images should be 1800 pixels on the longest side.

Each quilt must have a 3 inch sleeve securely attached to the back of the quilt. Quilts 60 inches or wider must have a center opening in the sleeve to allow for the hanging system VAM uses. A second sleeve at the bottom of the work is recommended.

Quilts must be available from April 8, 2016 through January 20, 2017. Images of selected quilts will be retained by Visions Art Museum to promote the exhibition and the museum. Acknowledgement of the artist will be made in all such uses. The artist retains copyright of the work at all times.

Selected artists are responsible for packing, shipping and insurance in transit both ways. A prepaid FedEx or UPS shipping label or account number is required for return shipping. FedEx and UPS accounts are free and can be obtained through their websites. Selected quilts by non-US residents may be subject to additional customs duty. Visions Art Museum does not assume responsibility for customs or brokerage charges. Artists will reimburse Visions Art Museum for any charges incurred.

All quilts will be handled with extreme care and, when possible, returned in their original packing materials. Visions Art Museum insures accepted work while in its possession at 50% of the retail price or the declared insurance value of not for sale (NFS) works. Artists may be asked to justify the insurance value if required.
Please note: The decision of the jurors is final. Visions Art Museum reserves the right to refuse to exhibit or to remove from the exhibition any quilt which is of poor quality, contains hazardous material or which has been misrepresented in the entry form or digital images. Selected quilts will be compared with the jury images before final selection is completed.

You must be an Artist Member of Visions Art Museum: Contemporary Quilts + Textiles. The annual membership levels and benefits are listed on here.

As an artist member you may enter up to 3 entries. Artist Member benefits also include the opportunity to link your website or blog to the Museum website and the opportunity to have your work juried into the Visions Online Exhibitions. Current members can add artist member benefits for $20 using the Museum’s secure online form, mailing a check or calling the museum, 619-546-4872.

January 1 - 31, 2016: online entries will be accepted

March 11, 2016: notification sent to artists, selected and non-selected

April 8, 2016: art work from selected artists must be received by Visions Art Museum

October 15, 2016: Exhibition opens with a Gala Opening Reception at Visions Art Museum, San Diego, California

October 16, 2016: Artists Breakfast and other activities TBA

January 8, 2017: Exhibition closes

By January 20, 2017: Art work returned to artists.