Local Quilter Semi-Finalist, International Quilt Show

16 Apr Local Quilter Semi-Finalist, International Quilt Show

Telluride-area quilter Val Franzese, a founder of the Telluride’s Many Hands Fiber Arts Festival, was selected as a semi-finalist for the 2016 AQS QuiltWeek in Paducah, Kentucky, April 20-23, 2016, at the Paducah McCracken County Convention & Expo Center in Paducah, Kentucky.

Saint Kathryn, by Val Franzese

Franzese was chosen to display the quilt, Saint Kathryn, along with 405 others in the annual contest, now in its 32nd year. Three quilting authorities will judge this elite group in Paducah, awarding first-, second-, and third-place prizes in 16 categories, along with nine overall awards.

Winners will be announced at the 32nd AQS Awards Presentation, which takes place at the Carson Four Rivers Center in Paducah at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19. Cash awards totaling $125,000 will be granted, including $20,000 for the Janome Best of Show; $12,000 for the Bernina Home Machine Workmanship; $12,000 for the AQS Hand Workmanship; $12,000 for the APQS Longer Workmanship; and $5,000 for the Moda Best Wall Quilt. Regardless of how Saint Kathyrn places in the final judging, all semi-finalists’ quilts will be displayed at the show, which is expected to draw more than 30,000 people.

“Whatever type of quilts you enjoy, traditional, modern, fiber art, or miniature, Paducah QuiltWeek® will have them all. You will be inspired and intrigued by these amazing works of art. Plus, our vendors will have every conceivable new product to make your quilt the best it can be,” said AQS Founder and President Meredith Schroeder.

Quilts were entered in this international contest from 44 U.S. states and 13 other countries. Come see a wide range of special exhibit quilts including: SAQA: People & Portraits; Symphony of Colors; The World Painters Challenge; and the AQS Authors’ Showcase.

Detail, Saint Kathyrn

The American Quilter’s Society hosts several shows annually, each with its own quilt contest. Besides the Paducah, Kentucky show, in 2016 AQS will host other prestigious shows in Phoenix, Arizona; Daytona Beach, Florida; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Syracuse, New York; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Chattanooga, Tennessee and Des Moines.

More about the 2016 Many Hands Fiber Arts Festival:

Internationally renowned, award-winning quilter Suzanne Marshall will be teaching classes and exhibiting some of her quilts at Telluride’s 2016 Many Fiber Arts Festival, which takes place this year from Friday, July 29 – Sunday, July 31.

Marshall’s quilts have won numerous prizes, including multiple awards for Best Hand Workmanship at the American Quilter’s Society shows in Paducah and Lancaster. Her quilt “Toujour Nouveau” was named as one of the Twentieth Century’s 100 Best American Quilts. This quilt is in the permanent collection of the Museum of the American Quilter’s Society in Paducah, Kentucky, as is her Mother’s Day.

A significant honor was being selected as one of the “World’s Distinguished Quilt Artists” to exhibit three selected quilts (Dragonflowers, Leafhoppers and Konnichiwa) in Tokyo, Japan in January, 2003. Click to view pictures of the quilt festival. In 2010, one of her latest creations, Vases, received the Best Handworkmanship Award at the AQS Show in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Vases and it’s quilted tiling patterns are featured in Suzanne’s newest book.

Marshall quilts are grouped in photo albums, each of which can be opened as a slide show.