By offering more than $120,000 in cash prizes in its contest, AQS QuiltWeek has raised the profile of quilting on an international scale. Of the 402 semifinalists competing in the 2013 contest, eighty come from outside the U.S. Eight countries are represented. Leading the count are Japan with fifty-eight, Australia with seven, and South Korea with five. Also represented are Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Luxembourg.
Since the American Quilter’s Society’s founding by Bill and Meredith Schroeder, Paducah, KY has become synonymous with greatness in quilting. Also known as, Quilt City USA, Paducah offers visitors and artists an opportunity to explore creativity and a view into the international fiber art scene during AQS QuiltWeek.
Several contestants from the international community have won top honors in the past. In 2012, the Benartex Best Miniature Award for $3,000 went to MINI MAGIC by Mariya Waterns from Australia. Works from Japan swept the three prizes in the Bed Quilts - Hand Quilted category sponsored by Superior Threads. Entries from The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Japan also placed well in other categories.
International semifinalists in the 2013 AQS Quilt Contest span multiple categories in the competition. Thirteen of the fifteen categories have entries from outside the United States. This year’s group also features, five entries vying for prize money with their first entry in an AQS Contest.
Winners won’t be selected or announced until April 23, 2013 at the AQS QuiltWeek awards presentation. Only those with tickets to the awards presentation and the preview night will see the winners before the show opening. Each AQS Quilt Contest includes only juried entries, with final judging by professional quilt judges.
Admission to the AQS Contest exhibit is free with admission to AQS QuiltWeek. Hours are Wednesday, April 24 through Friday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, April 27, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The American Quilter’s Society is the largest quilting membership organization in the world. For almost 30 years, AQS has been the leading voice in quilting inspiration and advice, through a broad suite of products—magazines, books, live events, contests, workshops, online networks, patterns, fabric, and catalogs. At AQS, we believe that with inspiration and advice, the creatively minded can take their quilting projects beyond what even they had imagined. That is why inspiration is central to everything we do. The leading authors in quilting choose to publish with AQS; the best in quilt artistry select AQS events to display their work; the newest quilters learn from the knowledge and inspiration of AQS members.
American Quilter's Society