Special Exhibits
The Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival & Mancuso Show Management are Proud to Present:
Abstract - Quilts on the Wall
"Abstract art invites the viewer to engage with their own imagination, to find personal meaning in the work. The function of abstraction is to get rid of a lot of reality. You start with as much richness as you want and subtract." - Robert Mot
Quilts on the Wall is a group of textile artists dedicated to learning about and sharing art quilts. Their projects are displayed on a wall rather than on a bed. The group has at least two Challenges a year. Juried and non-juried exhibits travel to venues such as quilt and textile art shows, and are displayed in art galleries. Quilts pictured: Sideways by Bunnie Mauldin, Under the Microscope by Kathy Hartmann, Subtle Fragments by Jerilee Petralba, Postpartum Depression by Karen Diane Morgan Guthrie, Frolicking in the Bay by Ardis Bucy, and Yellowstone Hot Springs by Anne Sonner.
Abyss Cherrywood Challenge - The Octopus Collection
The Abyss Cherrywood Challenge is a juried art quilt contest celebrating the 10th anniversary of Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics. Participants are tasked with creating a 20-inch square quilt inspired by the theme "Abyss: Creatures from the Deep," using a curated collection of dark, murky blues and bright aquas. The challenge includes six droplets of color to add to the quilt, allowing for creativity in design. The entire quilt must be made from Cherrywood fabric, and participants are encouraged to use all colors from the bundle to showcase the fabric's unique texture and color.
All Y’all: A Quilting Collective - Hampton Roads Modern Quilt Guild"
All Y’all: A Quilting Collective” is an invitation to pull up a chair and join the Hampton Roads Modern Quilt Guild in their very first exhibition at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival. HRMQG focuses on inclusivity and community visibility, fostering a guild with an array of ages, identities, and skill levels. Featuring an eclectic array of quilts created by members of the group, “All Y’All” extends a warm welcome to all members of the quilting community. Pictured: Mamas Trying by Dana Staves Wells.
Americana, Celebration of the 250th Birthday of the United States –
Peninsula Piecemakers Quilt Guild
This was a Mystery Quilt Challenge. Our members were given monthly instructions. The requirement was that it had to be red, white, and two shades of blue. Our members were aware that the quilt would fit the requirements for the Quilts of Valor or for our own Honor Quilt charity. Some members will also likely give this quilt to someone in their family who served or keep it themselves as a remembrance.
Arches and Doorways - Albermarle Modern Quilt Guild
The Albemarle Modern Quilt Guild challenged their members to create a small quilt on the theme: Arches and Doorways. We selected a color palette that was to be used by the participants, a predetermined size, and we supplied binding for the quilts. The guild was thrilled with the response from their members. We hope you enjoy our Arches and Doorways!
Artist Inspired - SAQA Virginia & North Carolina
Artists inspire. Their creations move us and inspire our self-expression. Rather than copy what other artists have done, we can use elements of their style, lean into our response to their works, and reinterpret their subject matter in ways that hold meaning for us individually and collectively.
We asked our regional members to consider an artist (in any medium) whose work inspires them and to reflect on how that inspiration shows up in their work. We hope you enjoy their responses as presented in our Regional Showcase: Artist Inspired.
Art Quilts to Dye For - Curated by Mary Walter
Our colorful quilts for this exhibit were inspired by and created with hand dyed fabrics. The fabrics used could have been dyed by the quilter or purchased from another source.
Quilters were encouraged to combine hand-dyed, resist dyed, stamped or dye painted, fabric techniques along with a limited number of commercial fabrics to make their quilts. Next the quilts were stitched with hand or machine quilting to support the design decisions and finishing techniques chosen by each quilter.
We hope you are inspired as we were by the variety, color, and creativity that using hand dyed fabrics has added to our quilts for this exhibit.
Pictured: Phases of the Grass Moon by Mary Walter
The Art You See - Tidewater Quilters Guild
What makes a quilt “modern?” The answer is as unique as each viewer. This exhibit celebrates the boundless interpretations of modern art quilting—where bold colors, unexpected textures, and unconventional designs invite personal meaning. From abstract to minimalist, every piece reflects the artist’s vision while leaving space for your own. Modern Threads blurs the line between tradition and innovation, craft and fine art, proving that beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
Celebrate! - Art Quilt Tribe
The Art Quit Tribe of Southeastern Virginia is delighted to offer its 2026 special exhibit entitled "Celebrate!' Our members each chose an event or theme in their life which they wanted to celebrate and translated that theme into fiber artwork. With beautiful fabrics and vibrant colors, we feel sure you will share in our joy! From music to dance to culture, come celebrate with us!
Celebration of Women: A Quilter's Perspective – A Special Exhibition Challenge Sponsored by Mancuso Show Management
Whether it’s dynamic heroines in history, inspiring quilters and mentors, or closer to home in your family tree, this challenge asked its entrants to create a quilt that honors the woman or women who have made a great impact on their life.
Color Theory in Quilted Art - Annapolis Quilt Guild
The challenge for Guild members in 2025 was “Color Theory in Quilted Art.” Two factors determined each member’s challenge. The first was the color wheel, which was broken into 12 colors. The second was a chart of typical color schemes from the basics of art theory, which includes 9 options: Complementary, Analogous, Split Complementary, Triadic, Side Complementary, Double Complementary, Square Tetradic, Monochromatic, and Neutrals with Pop of Color. Members rolled a multi-sided dice to discover their fated colors and color scheme. Members had approximately 9 months to finish the challenge. The results were varied and stunning!
Cowboys in Color - Quilts by Allyson Allen
In the American West, between 1860 and 1880, about 25% of the cowboy population was made up of Civil War soldiers or former slaves. 1 in 4 cowboys were people of color and were an integral part of this country's ranching industry. The term "cowboy" comes from the Spanish word "vaquero". Vaqueros were of Indigenous or Spanish descent. White cowboys were usually called cowhands, and the term cowboy was originally a derogatory racial slur, as black men were called boys. Still, cowboys of color mastered the rugged lifestyle that was later glamorized by Hollywood. There were Black, Mexican, Native American and Asian cowboys, and cowgirls, and today all of Cowboy Culture is celebrated with rodeos.
Divergence - Art Quilt Network (AQN)
Divergence explores contrast, difference, and the freedom to move in new directions. In these works, members of the Art Quilt Network (AQN) reflect on the many ways perspectives shift, ideas split, and individuality finds expression. Founded in 1986, AQN is one of the nation’s longest-standing groups dedicated to the art quilt, fostering community among fiber artists through retreats, exhibitions, and shared learning. This exhibition celebrates the innovation and creative spirit that defines both contemporary quiltmaking and the dynamic voices within AQN. Pictured: Softly in Motion by Palmer Frauke, Raging Rhino by Laurel Izard, & Wayfinder by Helen Greglio
Emotional Cloth - Quilts by Sandy Curran
A few years after I became obsessed with traditional floral applique, I branched out into portraying eyes and ultimately portraits.
Faces that show emotion attract me. I don't want to make a pretty picture as much as I want to draw the viewer into a story .... a feeling. That is why some of my portraits are quilted with a poem I wrote or quotes about the story I hope to tell. Pictured: Age is Attitude by Sandy Curran
Exploring African Fabrics - Fellowship Quilters Guild
The world of African Fabrics is a very unique one, and beckons us to enter it, by including these fabrics into our quilts. These fabrics are as varied as the many peoples who populate the continent. They embody so much of the human spirit: they are bold, they are meek, they are colorful, they are demure, they are classical, they are modern, they are trendsetters, and they are traditional.
African fabrics evoke emotions in ways that are unique to them. When you look at some of these fabrics you can hear the distant drum beats, or the sound of the jungle at night. Others make you feel the heat of the desert, as well as the soothing rains that come after the drought. We love the intricacies of these fabrics as the evoke a range of emotions: joyful, sad, playful. Some are so bold they are intimidating, while others are waiting to be conquered. Always, the personalities of these fabrics shine through. We deem it a privilege to have them in our quilts. Pictured: Under the Baobab Tree by Vivian Walker
Floral Remix - Make It Modern / President's Challenge - Peninsula Modern Quilt Guild
Guild members were challenged to make a Floral Quilt by using an existing modern design pattern, creating their own quilt design, or by “remixing/remaking” a traditional floral quilt pattern and making it modern. The modern design principles of negative space, asymmetry, minimalism/maximalism, monochromatic color, etc., were encouraged.
The Guild President challenged Guild members to try a new quilting technique. Peninsula Modern Quilt Guild. Located in Hamptons Roads, Virginia, the Peninsula Modern Quilt Guild was founded in 2013 and joined the Modern Quilt Guild in 2014. We are a dynamic group of sewists of every skill level dedicated to expanding our quilting knowledge and making a difference in our community.
Fresh Meadow - 2024-2025 Hoffman Challenge
There’s no better way to celebrate than joining in on the 35th Annual Hoffman Challenge. Our “Fresh Meadow” batik collection makes up the 2024-2025 Hoffman Challenge Collection. Hoffman Challenge participants are required to use a minimum of 5 out of 14 of these batik challenge fabrics in the body of the quilt top or garment in recognizable, but not necessarily equal amounts. While we love when you use Hoffman’s fabrics, we invite you to use fabric from any manufacturer in addition to the required challenge fabrics. Ready to celebrate with us?
Kaffe Plus One - QUUilters of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond
Every year the QUUilters of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, Virginia, choose a theme or technique to explore through quilt making. For the 2025-26 challenge, the group selected the theme of using Kaffe Fassett fabrics.
The challenge involves using at least one Kaffe Fassett fabric in your quilted piece. The Plus One means to utilize one new thing in your project. Do something you’ve never done before, use a new pattern, try a new technique, or use a new ruler. There are no limits on the size of the piece created. Pictured: In the Garden - Self-portrait by Sarah Butz
Legends of the Bible - Family Portraits Quilts by Marilyn Belford
Marilyn Belford is well known for her realistic fabric portraits and art quilts. She comes to the quilting community after a career in the art world. Her works have been shown at the American Quilters Society show in Paducah , Quilters’ Heritage Celebration in Lancaster, the International Quilt Association International Show in Houston, Texas, the Schweinfurth Museum in Auburn, N.Y., and other museums and shows nationally, winning many awards. Her quilts were on display at the Morris Museum in their 2015 NJ Craft Arts Annual. Most recently, her quilt "The Wrath of Poseidon"was chosen for permanent display at the National Quilt Museum in Peducah, Kentucky.
Marilyn has been teaching at Quilt University since 2003. She has written an article on her method for Chitra Publication’s magazine Quilting Today, has been featured in ARTSmagazine, and has been favorably reviewed in newspapers in New York.
Pictured: Self Portrait
Make Mine Modern - Central Virginia Modern Quilt Guild
Minimalism. Maximalism. Bold use of color. High contrast and graphic areas of color. Improvisational piecing. Expansive negative space. Alternate gridwork. Modern traditionalism. These are a taste of the many exciting facets of modern quilting today. As you explore our exhibit, what catches your eye? What makes you smile? How does a particular quilt make you feel? What questions do you have for the maker? We invite you to explore our exhibit with curiosity and a “poet’s eye,” revealing beauty and fresh connections in the ordinary. We’re very happy to share our work with you again this year. Pictured: The Great Unbuttoning by Donna Blalock
Minimalism - SAQA Global Exhibition
Order. Simplicity. Harmony. Minimalism is line, shape, form, and color combined to simply highlight the very essence of the medium and materials used to create art. Erasing the distinctions between mediums to call attention to the artwork itself, without expectation of emotion or deep meaning. In the words of Frank Stella, “What you see is what you see.” A pure form of beauty. Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt: "a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure." Our vision is that the art quilt is universally respected as a fine art medium. SAQA’s core values are: excellence, innovation, integrity, and inclusion. Over the past 35 years, SAQA has grown into a dynamic and active community of over 4,000 artists, curators, collectors, and art professionals located around the world.
Minimalism Photo Credit: 1) Michele Hardy - Circles #34, 2) Polly Bech – Convergence, 3) Kathy York – Conversation, 4) Hope Wilmarth - Edge of Space
My Belief - Stretching Art and Tradition 26
In difficult times, we often reach for family, friends, and/or faith. From 2004-2009, National Public Radio aired a series of essays written on the theme “This I Believe”. Ordinary and extraordinary people from all walks of life wrote in to share an essay on their beliefs. This project was a powerful exploration of creating connection and sharing through the medium of writing.
In the spirit of creating connection and sharing, Susan and I invited artists to create a piece inspired by the “This I Believe” project. “This I Believe” invited people to write about the core beliefs that guided their daily lives. We invited you to create a work of fiber art 24” wide by 36” tall that expounds on your guiding belief(s). We encouraged you to choose a few essays to listen to on the website to explore the diversity of beliefs shared as you searched for inspiration for your project. And of course, we encouraged you to stretch yourselves by trying something new. For more information on the “This I Believe” project, see https://thisibelieve.org/. Pictured: All of These by Bobbe Shapiro Nolan.
My Happy Place - It's Just Us
One's "Happy Place" is their sanctuary. A place where one finds peace, relaxation, or comfort. Typically, a place infused with positive vibes without stress. This can be a state of mind, a physical location, or just a memory. The trigger to creating a happy place is to evoke feelings of joy. One of the best aspects of a happy place is to develop one's best self.
In our quilting journey, each quilter has a comfort zone. A place where they feel most secure in their skill set. Reaching outside that zone is how quilters grow. We all gravitate back to the techniques we love and the skill set we feel most accomplished at.
This exhibit showcases the various techniques that the participating members of our group enjoy the most. These quilts bring us joy. The creativity is abundant.
Panel Palooza - Richmond Quilt Guild
This year's challenge dares you to take a panel and transform it with bold creativity! Quilt it, embellish it, frame it or cut it.
The quilt pictured was created by Polly Oliver.
Passage of Time - The Fabric Poets
The Fabric Poets challenged ourselves to each create a quilt expressing "the passage of time." It could be literal like clocks, hourglasses, young to old, kitten to cat, seedling to plant or abstract and conceptual like the changing colors of sunrise to sunset, the colors of the seasons of the year, temperatures like hot summer to cold dark winter. Pictured: Stages of Life 1 by Sandy Curran
Petals in Pattern - The Virginia Quilt Museum
Spanning quilts from different eras, this exhibition showcases the enduring popularity of floral designs in quiltmaking. From embroidered blossoms and the classic Rose of Sharon pattern to colorful feedsack fabrics printed with flowers in the early 20th century, these works reveal how quilters across generations turned to nature’s blooms for inspiration. Together, these quilts celebrate the timeless beauty and creativity of floral designs in quilting, drawing from the Virginia Quilt Museum’s education collection to showcase its lasting appeal across generations. Pictured: West Virginia Star
The Race is On - Cabin Branch Quilt Guild
This theme is all about races, both figurative and literal. The Summer Olympics, the presidential race, the race against time for looking and living our best all spark a wide range of emotions. The tortoise and the hare taught us lessons in perseverance in the face of adversity. And the rat race inspires us all to seek a better work-life balance and make plans for the future. Join the Cabin Branch Quilters as we illustrate our own perspectives and inspirations for this year’s theme, “The Race is On!”
The Rainbow Stash Buster Project - Curated by Brenda Wood
The Rainbow Stash Buster project is a colourful, joy-filled collection coordinated by Australian textile artist Brenda Wood and 28 makers from around the world. Featuring 385 small textile works, this display began with a simple idea — use what you already have, dive into your fabric stash, and follow a monthly colour prompt. The results are wonderfully diverse: bold, subtle, playful, and deeply personal. Shown together, these pieces form a vibrant rainbow that celebrates creativity, connection, and the magic of making something beautiful from what’s on hand.
Rivah Life - Stingray Stitchers Quilt Guild
Living on a peninsula bound by the Rappahannock River on the north and the Piankatank River on the south with meandering Dragon Run and so many tributary creeks flowing towards the Chesapeake Bay it made sense to create a small, quilted wall hanging to reflect our many experiences. The challenge was to incorporate the color blue. Keeping it simple because sometimes it truly is slow and easy down by the Rivah and yes there are challenging times, too. These quilts are the artistic expressions of our everyday life with the waters, waterman, lighthouses, boats, crabs, fish, oysters and all the natural elements of living near the Rivah. Pictured: Stingray Stitchers by Eileen OBrien
Split Image Project / Threads of the Heart Project - Talk Ten Travels
Split Image Project: 
Split Image Project: In April 2025, an independent volunteer selected a digital photograph by California photographer Lee Decker from the Escondido Arts Partnership Photo Arts Group website (with Mr. Decker’s consent). The photograph was digitally split into two halves: six members received the left half and six the right. Each artist was asked to create an 18" x 18" textile imagining the unseen portion of their half. The artists sent an image of their respective art textile to the volunteer, who compiled the images into a PowerPoint presentation “reveal” for our September 2025 TalkTen Zoom meeting. In the presentation, the art textiles were showcased, both as individual works, as well as diptychs that the volunteer created using his best judgment in pairing the left and right interpretations that were most complementary. After later reviewing the recording of the Zoom meeting and the PowerPoint presentation, Mr. Decker writes, "The fabric pieces that the artists created were quite amazing and I was impressed with their creative interpretations of the photograph. … I so enjoyed your presentation and the discussions that followed; they were endlessly fascinating. I want to thank the artists for their careful consideration of my work.” Pictured: Split Image by Susan Peterson and Fractured by Susan Lazear
Threads of the Heart Project: As a companion project this year, members created 18” x18” art textiles inspired by the heart motif of the artist Jim Dine. Beyond the size requirement, there were no restrictions, resulting in a series of works that reflect strikingly different interpretations of this universal symbol.
Star Light, Star Bright - River Country Quilt Guild
For this year's exhibit, members have created table runners with a star theme. The River Country Quilt Guild's purpose is to promote knowledge and understand of the art of quilting through educational and charitable endeavors for their members and the public.
What Remains – 20 Perspectives
What remains after the meal has been eaten, the clothes wear out, the leaves have fallen or the snow has melted? What remains the day after the storm, the terrorist attack, or the fire? What do broken tiles, desolate landscapes, a skeletal cactus and burnt trees tell us about what life was like before? In this exhibition we explore the fragments that are left behind as time moves on. All that remains are memories, some treasured, some sad, of what has been.
Pictured: Aftermath by Phyllis Cullen
While On Vacation - Quilts by Mary Anne Fontana
Pictured above: Windmills, Capuchin Monkey Standing on Leaf, The Boatmaker ll, The Alcazaba Quilt
While on Vacation blends my love of taking photographs while traveling with my love of making quilts when at home. Come explore my favorite snapshots transformed into quilts. All original images. Computer manipulated. Commercially printed on wholecloth cotton. Enhanced with thread, paint & markers.
Wall quilts were created from the larger, pictorial quilts. Each was free motion quilted with thousands of yards of thread. The smaller images of birds & animals were machine quilted then cut away from the background scenery, mounted & stitched on a second quilted background, then stretched on canvas creating a “frameable” piece of art.
Wild Things - TAVA (Textile Artists of Virginia)
Extravagant, impressive, and awe-inspiring, amazing colors and textures, breaking free of constraints! In general, it is something that is fun and causes excitement. Persons, places, animals, plants, things, behaviors, etc., can all be defined as "wild." In each of us lies a dormant force waiting to be awakened.
The Textile Artist of Virginia implemented texture, patterns, and a lot of imagination to show that bounds are only limited by the reach of our minds.
Windows - Fiber & Stitch Art Collective
In this fiber arts show we explore the rich theme of windows — both literal and symbolic. They can fill an indoor scene with light, draw the viewer’s eye into a landscape, or perfectly frame a subject. Light or dark, open or closed, welcoming or mysterious, windows can be symbols for universal themes such as freedom, change, or the unknown. A window can also open a portal into another world, offering us a glimpse into ourselves, our experiences, or our hopes and dreams.
Wish Upon a Star – Cabin Branch Quilt Guild
Cabin Branch Quilters of Woodbridge, Virginia are excited to display their small quilts depicting the theme "Wish Upon A Star." The quilts might be of an actual star or something the designer considers a star. These 18 by 24-inch creations are sure to spark something thought provoking. If given this challenge, what would you make?
AND MORE!