Silver Lake Exhibition 2027

The Virginia Quilt Museum will be taking a Silver Lake exhibition on the road to two Mancuso shows in 2027. This exhibition will feature the historic quilt that started it all, Pat Sloan and Wendy Sheppard’s versions of the quilt, along with quilts selected from this call for entries. This exhibit will be on display at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival from March 3 to 7, 2027, and the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza September 16 to 19, 2027. 

All entries must be based on the Silver Lake Pattern by Wendy Sheppard and they will be judged on use of color, craftsmanship, and overall aesthetic of the piece. Quilts must be finished quilts, but can be any size from a single block to a bed quilt. 

There will be an entry fee of $25 to submit a piece for consideration in the exhibition. Entries will be accepted from September 15 through December 1, 2026. Entrants will be notified of the results on December 15, 2026.

A total of 15 - 25 pieces will be chosen by the jurors.

The Virginia Quilt Museum will be taking a Silver Lake exhibition on the road to two Mancuso shows in 2027. This exhibition will feature the historic quilt that started it all, Pat Sloan and Wendy Sheppard’s versions of the quilt, along with quilts selected from this call for entries. This exhibit will be on display at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival from March 3 to 7, 2027, and the Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza September 16 to 19, 2027. 

All entries must be based on the Silver Lake Pattern by Wendy Sheppard and they will be judged on use of color, craftsmanship, and overall aesthetic of the piece. Quilts must be finished quilts, but can be any size from a single block to a bed quilt. 

A total of 15 - 25 pieces will be chosen by the jurors.

There will be an entry fee of $25 to submit a piece for consideration in the exhibition. Entries will be accepted from September 15 through December 1, 2026. Entrants will be notified of the results on December 15, 2026.

Pieces can be mailed or hand delivered to the museum. Shipping is the responsibility of the artist. The Virginia Quilt Museum provides insurance coverage for all pieces while on display. 

All pieces, including pillow covers, must include a sleeve for hanging. The sleeve must be at least 4” wide. All pieces should be clean and free of stains and pet hair. If a piece arrives dirty or damaged the Virginia Quilt Museum reserves the right to not exhibit the piece. 

All pieces must be finished and quilted. Tops or “flimsies” are not accepted.

Timeline:

• Entry submission opens September 15, 2026
• Entry submission closes December 1, 2026 - Online entry closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern
• Notification to artists on December 15, 2026
• Work arrives February 1 - 15, 2027 for mail delivery
• Work arrives February 5 and 6, 2027 for hand delivery
• Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival March 3 - 7, 2027
• Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza September 16 to 19, 2027
• In-person pick-up of quilts between October 15 - 16, 2027 between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm
• Works shipped back to artists will ship between October 15 - 22, 2027

Shipping:

Quilts accepted into the exhibition must arrive at the Virginia Quilt Museum between February 1 - 15, 2027. Pieces can either be mailed or hand delivered to the museum. Shipping is the responsibility of the artist. 

• Artists are responsible for the shipping of piece(s) to the Virginia Quilt Museum
• Pieces must arrive at the Virginia Quilt Museum by February 15, 2027
• 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) 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.

General Specifications:

• All pieces must be based on the Silver Lake pattern by Wendy Sheppard
• All pieces must be finished and quilted. Tops and non-quilted pillows are not accepted.
• All pieces should be clean and free of stains. If a piece arrives dirty or damaged the Virginia Quilt Museum reserves the right to not exhibit the piece.
• All pieces must arrive “show ready” with a sleeve attached
  • Must hang without distortion
  • The sleeve must be at least 4” wide.

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

• Name
• Contact Information
• Title of Piece
• Materials
• Dimensions
• Techniques
• Artist Statement (200 word limit)
• Who quilted the piece?
• Is this piece a collaboration?
  • If yes, please list all collaborators and what they did
• $25 entry fee, paid online or via check mailed to the museum

Image Requirements:

Please take the best possible images of your piece. These images are how your piece 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 at least one but up to four detail images
• Full-view images MUST show all the edges of the quilt and some of the area behind it where it is being photographed
• 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 Detail
• Jurying will be done based on the images you provide. Please make them the best quality possible.

• Artists of all ages are welcome to submit a piece
• Piece must be based on the Silver Lake pattern by Wendy Sheppard
• $25 entry fee per piece submitted, non-refundable
• Images of selected work may be reproduced for publicity and marketing purposes without further permission of the artist.