Quilt National opened last week at The Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio, last weekend, and it is a fantastic show!
Art quilts are the centerpiece of each Quilt National, which takes place over three months every other year. Once the original show ends, the quilts are divided into groups traveling worldwide.
Where is Quilt National?
The Dairy Barn Arts Center is, well, a barn. It’s a converted barn, but its roots are apparent as you approach the building. This space is on the Ohio University campus in Athens, Ohio, a primarily rural area in the state’s Southeastern section.
What Kind of Quilts are in Quilt National?
Quilt National started in the 1970s to provide a venue for art quilts at a time when the larger quilting community didn’t accept art quilts.
The roots of art quilting are strong in each quilt national show, and you can expect to see a vast range of styles and aesthetics in this exhibition. This year’s exhibit includes hand work, machine work, minimalism, maximalism, 2-D pieces, 3-D pieces, bright colors, low volume, and even quilts that don’t use stitching to hold the layers together.
The exhibit is curated to draw you around the space with quilts of similar colors, techniques, or styles situated near each other and flowing aesthetically from quilt to quilt to create a visual arc within each section.
The 2025 exhibit includes 84 quilts selected by the jury: Ellen Blalack, LUKE Haynes, and Martha Sielman.
Opening Weekend
Many Quilt National Artists come into town for the Quilt National Opening Weekend, which kicks off Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday Memorial Day Weekend. I am fortunate to be on the Quilt National Committee and was excited to attend opening weekend for the first time.
During the opening weekend, the gallery dedicates viewing hours for the artists as well as times that are open to the public. The excitement built for the first few hours on Friday afternoon since the winning quilts were not labeled until after the awards ceremony.
The Quilt National Artists
Quilt National is one of the most challenging shows to get a quilt into, and each artist can only have one quilt accepted into each exhibition. Each show includes many new artists along with returning artists. In 2025, 27 new artists had work included in the show. (You know you want to enter the 2027 show!)
As you can see from the group photograph, many artists travel to Athens to meet each other and see the show.
On Saturday, the artists went around the exhibit, sharing a little background about each piece.
Every quilt in this exhibit is impressive, but let’s look at just a few pieces with their artists. (These selections are based mainly on my ability to get a photograph during their talks!)
Abigail Vargas discussed her piece, Bumblebee Jasper.
Susan Braverman shared her process with geometric shapes that led to Pinot Noir.
Jen Strauser talked about the Siddi-inspired technique that involves starting from the quilt’s outer edges and working toward the center.
Kestrel Michaud discussed the story behind her imagery and the incorporation of technology into her art.
Heather Kinion shared her process of using stitch placement and density to create the story on a simply pieced “canvas.”
Do You Want to See Quilt National?
The best way to see Quilt National is in person now through September 1, 2025, at the Dairy Barn Arts Center in Athens, Ohio.
If you can’t see the whole exhibit in person, you can catch portions of the show when it starts to travel (dates and locations coming soon).
You can also enjoy the exhibit through the Quilt National 2025 Catalog.
Would You Like to Enter Quilt National 2027?
Entries for the next Quilt National open in 2026, and you can get on the Call for Entry Mailing List to get reminders!
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