Quilting Challenge for "We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia" Exhibition

The Library of Virginia is issuing a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS to quilters and textile artists for textile banners addressing the theme of Women's Suffrage to coincide with our upcoming major exhibition, We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia, commemorating the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Our goal is to involve Virginia's artist and artisan communities in creative expression around women's suffrage and equality, both historic and current.

(Shown above is a sample suffrage-themed quilt from Gerry Krueger, created in 2013. More about her work can be found at http://olderrose.blogspot.com/search/label/suffrage%20quilt. The sash on display at the top of the page is from the Library's Visual Studies Collection and is just one of several items that will be included in We Demand).

Please note that we have changed some of the processes for submission and presentation due to the Library's quarantine protocols and closures around COVID19.

Banner photo submissions will now be initially displayed via a Virtual Gallery as part of our We Demand online exhibition. We will be displaying the photos that you submit of your work beginning mid-July. Please send numerous photos (overview, closeups, etc) along with any information you would like included in a caption. If you have a story behind your work, please send that as well.

We still hope to display the actual physical banners in the Library during the Fall or Winter of 2020.

Deadline for photo of submissions: July 27, 2020. Please send photos to exhibitions coordinator, Barbara Batson at barbara.batson@lva.virginia.gov

We will now contact via email everyone who sends submission photos on the details of any physical submission.

Sizing and Preparation for Submissions: Banners should be sized between 18" to 22" wide and 24" to 28" tall. There should be a 2" pocket along the full length of the top so that the Library can insert a dowel for hanging.

Please fill out the form below to express your intent to create a banner.

Please include with your email submissions: your name, contact information, materials used, and any artist statement or story you might like the Library to potentially display.