Quilting season has arrived in the Triangle, as thousands of textile artists and enthusiasts descend upon the Raleigh Convention Center for QuiltCon, the world’s largest modern quilting gathering. The convention is expected to draw up to 25,000 visitors this week, between Thursday and Sunday, to celebrate the time-honored tradition of patching, piecing, and stitching together layers of fabric, with an eye toward experimentation and innovation.
As the host city for the annual event, Raleigh is also spotlighting local artists who are keeping quilting traditions alive and taking the artform in new and exciting directions through contemporary interpretations of the craft. Here’s what you can expect to find at QuiltCon and beyond this week.
QuiltCon at the Raleigh Convention Center: Thursday, February 19–Sunday, February 22
QuiltCon is presented by the Modern Quilt Guild, which formed in 2009 to support artists and creatives exploring modern quilt making. According to the guild, the growth and popularity of modern quilting is largely attributed to cultural shifts in perception, from quilts being viewed as objects of utility to them being appreciated for their artistic elements of design. Bold, colorful, graphic elements are the design hallmarks of a style known for its contemporary adaptations of traditionalism.
QuiltCon features a juried show where hundreds of modern quilts are evaluated in 10 categories ranging from design to workmanship, all vying for the coveted title of Best in Show and a $10,000 prize. In addition to the juried exhibition, QuiltCon has a robust slate of speakers, demos, workshops, and vendors on hand. A special presentation of Gee’s Bend quilts from the Freedom Quilting Bee Legacy in Alabama will pay tribute to African American quilt makers who have shaped modern quilters today.
Relevant Material: Contemporary Quilting in North Carolina at the Block Gallery
Duck into The Block Gallery, located in the downtown Raleigh Municipal Building, where exhibiton Relevant Material: Contemporary Quilting in North Carolina is on display through March 27. Curated by Stacy Bloom Rexrode, the show features work by three local textile artists: Kimberley Pierce Cartwright, Sydney Lee, and Michelle Wilkie, each of whom demonstrates a unique approach and interpretation of modern quilt design and fabrication. Take a close at Cartwright’s colorful, figurative quilts, which explore the narrative elements of quilt design and celebrate African American culture while honoring the rich tradition of Black, Southern quilt making. The gallery is hosting an artist reception on Thursday, February 19, from 5:30 to 7:30.
In the second-floor corridor among the Artspace studios, artist Michelle Wilkie presents a sampling of textile works created by 18 artists from North Carolina in a show titled Of Place, a meditation on the relationship between material and memory. “Through fabric and thread, each quilt becomes a record of the maker’s connection to a particular place and moment in time,” Wilkie wrote in her curator’s statement. “Stitch by stitch, the hand of the maker reveals the beauty of personal experience, capturing memories and impressions within everyday life.” The show is on display through March 22.
Street Frame at the corner of Fayetteville and Hargett, downtown Raleigh
There’s plenty to see while walking downtown between QuiltCon, the Block Gallery, and Artspace. VAE Raleigh and the Grid Project transformed a storefront into a pop-up streetside gallery, presenting works by artists Caitlin Cary and Ginny Robinson, who won Best in Show at QuiltCon in 2024. The pastel palette and floral motifs in Robinson’s “Red Dirt Roses” are practically summoning spring. Artspace artist and Modern Quilt Guild member Michelle Wilkie has also created a map for visitors, which includes additional events.
To comment on this story, email [email protected].
You must be logged in to post a comment.