Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie is an annual juried exhibit of contemporary quilt art held at the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany, Indiana. All works must be quilted (two or more distinct layers held together with stitches). The layers may include fiber and textile materials, but this is not required and other techniques and mediums are acceptable as long as the work is quilted, as defined above. The exhibit is open to artists, age 18 or older, living in the United States, including U.S. military bases and U.S. territories.
The 2023 exhibition will be on view May 11 – July 22, 2023. Accepted artists will be eligible for cash awards, including a $1,000 Best of Show award.
If you would like to sign up to receive information about Form, Not Function annually, subscribe to our Form, Not Function Email List today! View the 2022 exhibition here.
2023 Form, Not Function: Quilt Art at the Carnegie
Celebrating 20 Years of Form, Not Function!
Calendar
- March 18, 2023, 11:59:59 PM Mountain Time Zone:Entry deadline
- March 20 – April 1, 2023: Jurying process
- April 4, 2023: Notification of acceptance
- April 17 – 29, 2023: Accepted works received at Carnegie Center
- May 11, 2023: Opening reception
- May 11 – July 22, 2023: Exhibition dates
- July 24, 2023: Works available for pickup
- July 24 – 29, 2023: Works shipped on or about
Eligibility
Form, Not Function is an annual juried exhibit of contemporary quilt art held at the Carnegie Center for Art & History in New Albany, Indiana. All works must be quilted (two or more distinct layers held together with stitches). The layers may include fiber and textile materials, but this is not required and other techniques and mediums are acceptable as long as the work is quilted, as defined above. We reserve the right to reject entries that do not meet this criterion. The exhibit is open to artists, age 18 or older, living in the United States, including U.S. military bases and U.S. territories. Collaborative works made by multiple artists are eligible. Works must be ready to hang on the wall, including the hanging rod. We strongly encourage you to include a hanging rod or slat to weight the bottom of your piece, if feasible. Works must be original and completed since January 1, 2020. There is no minimum or maximum size. (Gallery walls are 12 feet high. Works cannot be suspended from the ceiling.) Three-dimensional works (including those mounted on stretchers) are eligible, but must be ready to exhibit on the floor, on a pedestal or include hardware for wall display.
Judges
The exhibition is juried each year by a rotating panel of fiber artists & experts, who consider the originality, design, technique, and craftsmanship of the submitted works. The 2023 jury includes:
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Kathleen Loomis has been making quilts since high school, well before they became popular as an art form. About 30 years ago she switched her focus from functional quilts to those intended as art. Since her retirement from a career in newspaper journalism and corporate communications for an international consulting firm, she has worked fulltime on her art. She studied improvisational composition extensively with Nancy Crow and other teachers. Her work has been seen in major competitions and exhibits in the US, Europe, Asia and South America including four times in Quilt National, where she won the Quilts Japan Prize in 2009. In recent years she has branched out from quilts to mixed media, including collage, 3-D assemblage and hand stitching. She is a member of the artist co-op PYRO Gallery in Louisville. kathleenloomis.com |
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For 35 years, Kate Lydon was Director of Exhibitions at Contemporary Craft (CC) and oversaw the installation of exhibitions at CC’s main Strip District galleries and at the BNY Mellon satellite gallery in downtown Pittsburgh. She participated in all decisions regarding exhibition development, selection of work, touring of exhibitions and development of public programming. Lydon received dual degrees in Art History and French at Denison University in OH and a master’s degree from the Archival, Museum and Editing Program at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. With her years of experience in arts management she offers a strong working knowledge of the contemporary craft field, artist and process, and public education about craft. Prior to joining CC, Lydon served as registrar for The Frick Art & Historical Center in Pittsburgh and as exhibitions coordinator at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts. She has been an adjudicator for Best of 2016, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH (2016); Tranquility and Turmoil Exhibitions, Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc., Hebron, CT (2016); Craft Art Festival, Florida CraftArt, St. Petersburg, FL (2014) and the Tennessee Arts Commission, Individual Artist Fellowship in Craft (2010). Lydon served on the Board of Governors of Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN from 2006-16 and the Board of Directors of The National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA) as 2018 On-site Liaison-Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently a Presidential Appointee for Special Projects on the NCECA Board of Directors. |
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Clara Nartey is a self-taught mixed media artist, born in Ghana, now living and working in West Haven, Connecticut. Using influences from her African heritage, she tells stories of the Black experience in the United States, in Africa, and in the diaspora at large. Hair, being a major marker of Black identity, features prominently in her works. Bold and colorful African fabric prints, patterns, and symbols are other significant sources of influence. Nartey has been featured in multiple publications including a 2020 Art Forum critic’s pick. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Joan Coderre Painting Award for Excellence in Color. In 2019, she collaborated with the residents of the city of Milford, CT to create a community art project. Her work has been in traveling exhibitions, group exhibitions and solo shows. Nartey is an educator, because she believes teaching is her “generosity engine”. It allows her to exponentially share her skills with a lot of people. She’s the creator of training programs like Clarity to Create and Consistent Studio Time. claranartey.com |