This exhibit speaks to the urgent stories of our time. Each work carries a message, expressed through fabric and thread, that invites viewers to pause, reflect, and engage. The artists use their quilts to illuminate the realities of climate change, homelessness, and endangered species, and human hardship while also exploring resilience, healing feminism, spirituality and the legacies of history.

In 2022, and again in 2024, a group of intrepid quilters embarked on the ultimate patchwork challenge: to construct a tiny 4” block every day for a year, using every conceivable technique. Every block had a heavenly theme, stars, planets, and space technology. The result, Star of Wonder, designed by Australian quilter Kathryn Ker, is a remarkable 80” x 80” quilt with more than 10,000 pieces.

This exhibit celebrates all 50 U.S. states through fabric, pattern, and design. Each quilt reflects a state's unique cultural identity, historical roots, and defining industries from agricultural and manufacturing to music, migration, and innovation. Together, these quilts form a textile map of the nation, revealing how diverse stories and traditions are bound into a shared American narrative.

A sampling of needlework inspired by Nickel’s travels around the world.

Buildings have a long history of inspiring the creative designs of quiltmakers. In the 19th century, American quilters developed classic architectural blocks and patterns such as Log Cabin, Schoolhouse, and Brick Wall. This annual juried exhibit challenges quiltmakers to create works based on architectural themes and inspirations. The quilt style reflect traditional, modern, and art techniques.

Buildings have a long history of inspiring the creative designs of quiltmakers. In the 19th century, American quilters developed classic architectural blocks and patterns such as Log Cabin, Schoolhouse, and Brick Wall. This annual juried exhibit challenges quiltmakers to create works based on architectural themes and inspirations. The quilt style may be traditional, modern, or art.

The St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild (STLMQG) seeks to support and encourage the growth and development of modern quilting through art, education, and community. They cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment where quilters of all backgrounds and experience levels can explore creativity, share knowledge, and build meaningful connections. The guild fosters innovation, celebrates modern design, and promotes community engagement through workshops, and collaborative projects. All the works included here received prize ribbons at the STLMQG 2024 Quilt Show. For more information, visit www.stlmqg.org.

The expression “Tudo Azul/All Blue” is a way of stating that everything is great, peaceful, calm, and flowing well. We live in a time where haste has set in, and where people are always needing to finish something. But if it doesn't work out that’s okay...all in peace. And in the blue universe of this exhibit, the challenge was to assemble the pieces using a kit with only shades of blue.

This exhibit presents 15 Advocacy Project quilts from around the world. The blocks were stitched by 160 women and girls in nine countries, and assembled by 22 quilters in the U.S., Canada, France, and Kenya. The theme of our exhibit is “Innovation” in that each quilt demonstrates a new approach to stitching and assembling blocks.

Regardless of our lived experiences, we instinctively recognize that our words reflect our thoughts, emotions, and relationships. Words can create positive, and encouraging interactions or they can be weapons of harm and emotional damage. These illustrated words have significance to each artist, interpreted through a personal lens, written large in our minds, and lingering in our thoughts.