MADISON — Quilters from across the country submitted their best work for judging in this year’s Great Wisconsin Quilt Show. Two area quilters and their quilts have been selected to compete in the 2022 Great Wisconsin Quilt Show Quilt Contest. Their quilts will be displayed for more than 20,000 visitors to the annual event in Madison this September.
Andrea Byerley of Hollandale, Wisconsin and her quilt “Wintergreen” will compete for a top prize in the Quilt Contest.
Every quilt has a story. “I made this quilt as a winter throw for our living room, but it turned out so pretty I’m not sure I can wrap up in it!” Byerley said in her artist’s statement. “I chose quilting patterns from multiple sources for a blend of traditional and modern, something I love to do.”
Byerley has been quilting for 15 years, and was inspired to take up the craft because of her grandmother. “My grandmother’s hand pieced and hand quilted quilts amazed me. I’m blessed to have several to admire and touch! Every time I piece or quilt I think of her.”
Mary Alice Hart of Monroe, Wisconsin and her quilt “The Lady in Gold” will also compete for a top spot in the Quilt Contest.
Hart was inspired by another artist to create her quilt. “Klimt’s painting ‘Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer’ inspired this piece,” she explains. “It was one of many pieces of art plundered by the Nazis. A book and a movie, ‘The Woman in Gold’ detail the legal battle of its repatriation. This project became a collaboration with my husband, who painted the body.”
Hart has been quilting for over 20 years, and she was also inspired by her matriarchs. “My mother, both grandmothers and all my mother’s sisters were also quilters,” she says.
Quilts accepted in the Quilt Contest are judged on visual impact and stitching technique. Awards are given for first-, second- and third-place recognition in each category, and one quilt is awarded as “Best of Show.” One quilt is also selected to receive the Viewers’ Choice award by those who attend the event.
For the first time in three years, The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show will return to the Alliant Energy Center in Madison as an in-person event, welcoming quilt lovers from across Wisconsin and throughout the United States to join together and celebrate the art of quilting. It will be held Sept. 8-10.
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show’s main attraction is the 10-category juried and judged Quilt Contest exhibit, showcasing the incredible talents of quilters from across the country. Featured quilts range from traditional sizes and shapes to innovative pictorial quilts.
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show also includes dozens of educational lectures and workshops led by expert quilters; shopping opportunities from trusted vendors, featuring the latest fabrics and notions; and a community service project — Quilt to Give — in which attendees donate their materials and skills to create quilts for those in need.
Visit quiltshow.com for advance registration and full event details now.
Event organizers will continue to monitor updates from health officials regarding COVID-19 safety guidelines and will share the latest information about their protocols at quiltshow.com.
The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show is presented by PBS Wisconsin and Nancy Zieman Productions. Proceeds from The Great Wisconsin Quilt Show support PBS Wisconsin programs and community outreach projects.
Thank you to our Premier Event Sponsors: Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machines and Pfaff Sewing Machines. Additional thanks to our Associate Event Sponsors: Ana’s Sewing Studio, BERNINA of America, Blue Bar Quilts, Brother International Sewing Corporation, Janome, Juki America, Inc. and Linda Z’s Sewing Center.
PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
PBS Wisconsin is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA-TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.
