Art Quilt Elements 2026

About the Open Call

Art Quilt Elements 2026, the 17th International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Art Quilts will be held from March 23 to April 25, 2026, at the Wayne Art Center, Davenport and Ethel Sergeant Clark Smith Galleries. Founded in 1931, Wayne Art Center is dedicated to enriching the community through the arts, providing an interdisciplinary venue to explore, share, and learn, while fostering a sense of community through arts education and appreciation. Its exhibition galleries are recognized for featuring a diverse and innovative display of contemporary art quilts. Art Quilt Elements (AQE), established in 2008, continues to expand the boundaries of quilt making, showcasing techniques that communicate unique vision and storytelling through various hand and machine quilting methods. Wayne Art Center seeks submissions for this international juried group exhibition of contemporary fine art quilts. Jurors for AQE 2026 include Toni Kersey, Karl Reichert, and Danielle Williams.

What is Offered

Selected works will be on display in a juried international exhibition, offering artists the opportunity to showcase their contemporary fine art quilts and potentially sell their work.

Requirements

Artists must be 18 years of age or older. Submitted works must be original in design; collaborative works are accepted. Work must have been completed after January 1, 2024, and not previously exhibited at Wayne Art Center. All work must be available for sale and remain on display for the entire duration of the exhibit (March 23 – April 25, 2026). Works of any size not exceeding 12 feet (144 inches) high will be considered. All submitted artwork must be available for the entire jurying process and exhibition. If a piece is accepted to both AQE 2026 and a simultaneously running exhibit, it must only be exhibited in AQE 2026. Withdrawal of invited work by the artist prior to the exhibition will result in exclusion from exhibiting at WAC the following year. Wayne Art Center reserves the right to reject entries that do not meet the requirements or that differ from the digital submissions. Works not for sale will not be accepted. All work should be submitted installation ready, accompanied by rails or rods for wall installation. Artists are responsible for all shipping costs to and from Wayne Art Center; a pre-paid return-shipping label must be enclosed with the work. In-transit insurance is the artist's responsibility. Hand-delivered work not retrieved by May 31, 2026, will become the property of Wayne Art Center.

How to Apply

Artists may submit up to THREE works per application. A maximum of six images may be uploaded to show an alternate view or detail of each piece for up to three pieces. The entry fee is $50 per application. Artists are permitted to submit additional applications using a different username/account but the same name and contact information. Visa, MasterCard, AMEX or PayPal are accepted for payment; the application will not be finalized until the fee is paid. Artists should carefully review submission information before completing an entry, as exhibition inventory will be created from these listings. Updates or changes to listings after entry will incur a $20 administrative fee. All uploaded images must be JPG or JPEG format, at least 300 dpi, 1200 pixels or greater on the longest side, and under 5 MB in file size. Files should be named with the work's title and specify full, alternate, or detail view. Notification of accepted/declined work will be sent via email on November 3, 2025.