Entries for the 2022 National Juried Show are accepted between January 3 & February 17, 2022 at noon

Before you fill out application form, please read the Call For Entry below

NJS Entry Form is now closed

Call for Entry 2022 National Juried Show

The NJS show will take place at Quilt Canada 2022, June 16-18, 2022, Vancouver Convention Centre East, Vancouver, British Columbia

  • Entries for the 2022 National Juried Show (NJS) will be accepted commencing January 3, 2022 and will close as of February 17, 2022 at 12:00 pm (noon) EST. Please refer to the procedures and requirements below for more detailed information.

Quilts entered into the NJS may also be entered into the CQA/ACC Guild Rosette Invitational concurrent show. However, if the Rosette winning quilt is accepted into the NJS, then it must be withdrawn from the concurrent show.

Entry Procedure

Entry is open to all Canadian citizens and permanent residents, as well as non-resident members of the CQA/ACC. No member of the CQA/ACC Board of Directors, its staff or contractors may enter a quilt in the NJS.

For an entry to be accepted please review the following:

  • The online entry form must be filled in completely, including all the required photographs and documents.
  • Once your entries are submitted, you will be prompted to proceed to our secure online payment page. Fees per entry: Members $40.00 Non-Members $85.00. (GST/HST applies).
  • If photographs do not conform to requirements by the entry deadline your entry will not be accepted.

If you experience issues with online payment, the entry will be accepted as incomplete and assigned a “pending” status. In such cases, you will receive an email with instructions on how to complete the entry process.

The Jury Coordinator may contact the entrant to discuss an entry that may be in the wrong category and, with the entrant’s permission, may move the entry into another category.

There is no limit on the number of entries. All entries must be received and completed – with no pending status – before 12:00 PM (noon) EST on February 17, 2022.

Submissions will be juried/judged according to CQA/ACC NJS Quilting Standards. Entries will be selected based on the quality of the digital images that you submit and also the accompanying Artist’s Statement. Decisions of the jurors and judges are final; there is no appeal process.

All entrants will be notified,  April 11 via email, the results of the jurying  process.  Successful entrants will receive further instruction for mailing their quilt to Vancouver at that time.

Categories

ABSTRACT & IMPROVISATIONAL – Entry must be non-pictorial, with emphasis on colour, line and design.

ART DEPICTION OF HUMAN OR ANIMAL FORM – Entry must illustrate some recognizable aspect of the human or animal form.

LANDSCAPES, STILL LIFE – Entry must illustrate some recognizable aspect of natural or manmade scenery or a recognizable object(s).

TEXTILE TRANSLATIONSEntry is a direct copy, interpretation of, or inspired by another artists’ original work i.e. painting, photograph, illustration, sculpture, etc.  Permission must be provided by the artist.  Please see the Copyright Information for further information. The original artist must be recognized under Design and Credits section. Note: This includes all Indigenous designs.

PATTERNS/BOOKS/MAGAZINES or SOCIAL MEDIA – WALL HANGING AND BED QUILTS – Entry may be a Traditional, Contemporary or Modern design that uses a published pattern. Designs that mix original elements with elements or blocks designed by someone else must also be entered in this category, with appropriate credits given to each designer. Credit must be given to all pattern designers, book authors or publishers.  Provide names in Design and Credits section.

TRADITIONAL – WALL HANGING AND BED QUILTS – Entry must be an original design based on traditional-style piecing, appliqué or whole cloth.  Historical blocks in the public domain may be used.

MODERN – WALL HANGING AND BED QUILTS – Entry must be an original design. Minimalism, asymmetry, use of negative space, improvisational piecing, solids or modern prints and alternate grid work are aspects of the Modern Quilt movement.  Historical blocks in the public domain may be used.  Quilts from published patterns are not eligible. 

WEARABLES – A garment or outfit that may be an original design or made from a commercial pattern (pattern designer acknowledged).  Techniques may consist of but are not limited to surface design, embellishment, piecing, appliqué, quilting, and felting or upcycling to create a practical garment or show piece.

NOTES:

  • Other than Textile Translations and Patterns/Books/Magazine or Social Media, (and Wearables for garment construction purposes only) entries into all categories must be of original design and composition. “Original” means based on the entrants’ own photograph, painting or drawing.
  • Designs from books, patterns, magazines, and social media, e.g. Pinterest, can only be entered in the Patterns/Books/Magazines or Social Media category.
  • Entries started in a workshop or resulting from a workshop must be entered in the Textile Translations category with appropriate credits given.
  • Entries from kits will not be accepted in any category.
  • Group Entry – Multiple Artists – All artists in the group entry must adhere to the Entry Requirements outlined below. Three or more people, none receiving payment for any part of the work, create sections of the entry which are combined into one quilt with a unified theme. The sections may be sewn together or be individual pieces arranged so that the whole entry hangs as one item. Group Quilts may be entered in any category.

Requirements

  • Entry is open to all Canadian citizens, Canadian permanent residents, and CQA/ACC individual members. (If you are not a Canadian citizen or resident, you MUST be a CQA/ACC member to enter).
  • Credit must be given to the person who inspired the work (artist/teacher, etc.). Provide the name in Design and Credits section.
  • Acknowledgement must be given to everyone participating in the execution of the work. Provide names in Design and Credits section.
  • Work must have been completed after January 1, 2020.
  • Quilts must not exceed 436 inches in perimeter.  No one side may exceed 109”.
  • Work must not have been shown in a Canadian national-level juried/judged quilting exhibition/competition prior to June 2022.
  • Artists submitting works from outside of Canada will be responsible for all customs arrangements and all transportation costs.
  • Incomplete entry forms not finalized by February 17, 2022 will be refused (see Entry Procedure).
  • The Artist’s Statement is a maximum of 50 words. Do not include names or other information that would identify the maker.
  • With the exception of the Wearables category, all entries must be 3 layers held together with a stitch. Quilting stitches are not required to be visible on the back of the Art Abstract, Art Depiction of Human or Animal Form, Landscape & Still life
  • Framed or mounted art quilts must have clear assembly instructions included with the work. Additional charges will be applied to return the frame. Work behind glass will not be accepted
  • Entries must be able to be displayed by hanging on pipe and drape.
  • If a wall quilt requires a second sleeve to assure proper hanging, you must advise us at the time of entry to ensure that arrangements can be made.
  • By completing the NJS Entry Form you are agreeing to allow your work to be displayed for the duration of the NJS. If your work is accepted into the NJS and then is not available for the exhibit, subsequent entries from you will not be considered for two consecutive National Juried Shows.
  • Accepted works that differ from the digital photos submitted with entry or that do not meet CQA/ACC’s NJS Quilting Standards will not be hung.
  • Quilts for Sale: If you wish to take advantage of the option to sell your quilt at Quilt Canada, please note that CQA/ACC will retain 20% of the sale price as a commission.

Signatures or any other identifying mark on the front of your submission must be covered by the artist or the piece will be ineligible for judging.

Photography Standards and Requirements

  • (Credit: “American Quilters Society” (2020)

    Your submitted photographs will be used for the Jurying process and, if accepted, will be used on our website, magazine and NJS catalogue. Follow these guidelines carefully for optimal photography and to ensure a professional presentation.  Refer to your camera’s manual for information about settings, lighting, focus and downloading files to your computer.

  • For all Wearables, submit four(4) digital images:
    Full Front, Full back, detail of the garment ( i.e. embellishment, construction element or quilting, etc.) and detail of the finishing ( i.e. collar, hemline, or cuff etc.)
     

    Note: On the entry form where your images are uploaded, for garment images please place the appropriate images based on this chart

    WORDING ON ENTRY FORM VS REQUIRED WEARABLE PHOTOS
    Main Front View
    Quilting Detail Back View
    Construction Detail Garment Detail i.e. embellishment, construction, quilting etc
    Binding Detail Finishing Detail i.e. collar, hemline, cuff etc
  • For all wall quilts, submit four (4) digital images: a full view, a clear detail of the quilting stitches, one with a construction detail, and one with a binding or edge detail.
  • For all bed quilts, submit five (5) digital images: a full view, a clear detail of quilting stitches, one with a construction detail, one with a binding or edge detail, and the quilt on an appropriately-sized bed. Please make sure the bed quilt photo shows how the quilt hangs off the bed in relation to the floor.
  • The full-view image must show the overall view of your work including all edgesand be taken straight on (parallel to the quilt edges), with no fingers or clips visible.  Hang the quilt on flat surface or rod, not a clothesline.  If necessary, use a pressed white or light neutral sheet behind to avoid distracting clutter.  Use a tripod or ladder for your camera to rest on.
  • The binding detail shot should be a front view of the quilt’s edge that shows a corner or some other detail that illustrates how the quilt has been finished.
  • Images must be free from textual or other information revealing the identity of the artist.
  • All photos, including the construction detail, are to be a front view of the finished quilt.

Ensure your images are in focus and, for the full view, that the entire quilt has been captured. Do not crop or edit your photos. All accepted NJS quilt photos will be professionally edited. Images must be submitted in JPG format with a minimum file size of 3.0 MB (eg: 2000px by 1500px).

Label your photo files according to the following format:           

njs-categorycode-provincecode-name-of-quilt-full.jpg

njs-categorycode-provincecode-name-of-quilt-quiltingdetail.jpg

njs-categorycode-provincecode-name-of-quilt-constructiondetail.jpg

njs-categorycode-provincecode-name-of-quilt-bindingdetail.jpg

njs-categorycode-provincecode-name-of-quilt-bed.jpg

For example:

njs-TX-ON-white-feathers-on-snow-full.jpg

njs-TX-ON-white-feathers-on-snow-quiltingdetail.jpg

njs-TX-ON-white-feathers-on-snow-constructiondetail.jpg

njs-TX-ON-white-feathers-on-snow-bindingdetail.jpg

njs-TX-ON-white-feathers-on-snow-bed.jpg (for bed quilts only)

Select your category code:

AB – Abstract and Improvisational

AR – Art Depiction of Human or Animal Form

LA – Landscapes and Still Life

TX – Textile Translations

PT – Patterns, Books, Magazines or Social Media Wall Hanging and Bed Quilts

TR – Traditional Wall Hanging and Bed Quilts

MO – Modern Wall Hanging and Bed Quilts

WR – Wearables

Select your province code/territory code:

AB – Alberta

BC – British Columbia

MB – Manitoba

NB – New Brunswick

NL – Newfoundland

NS – Nova Scotia

NT – Northwest Territories

NU – Nunavut

ON – Ontario

PE – Prince Edward Island

QC – Quebec

SK – Saskatchewan

YT – Yukon

Copyright Information

CQA/ACC abides by all Canadian copyright laws. Due to international copyright agreements, all international entrants must abide by their country’s copyright laws. The copyright information is provided to ensure that your entry complies with Canadian copyright laws.

  • In the TEXTILE TRANSLATIONS category, the design, photography, art inspiration is created by another person as the source of your work. If the person is living, you must obtain that person’s written permission before entering your quilt into the National Juried Show. This applies whether you have copied, altered, or used only a portion of the design. We are particularly mindful of protecting Indigenous art sources. This is considered derivative work, which is defined by the dictionary as “something that is based on another source” and “imitative of the work of another person.” Designs are considered intellectual property and are covered under the copyright laws of Canada. If the person’s work is under copyright of another country that country’s copyright also applies in Canada.
  • When the “Call for Entry” document, for the National Juried Show, refers to “Permission,” the CQA/ACC requires written permission, and the corresponding letter or e-mail should be specific about the permission granted. A copy of this permission letter must accompany all NJS entries.   It is important to keep this for your records and you should be able to produce it whenever you are asked or it is required.
  • Once you have received written permission, you must give proper credit to the artist or designer wherever the quilt is displayed. There is space for this on the show entry form. Provide the artist’s or designer’s name, the title and publisher of the book, magazine, or pattern, the website where you found the artwork, or any other important information.
  • When using designs found in the Public Domain, you must credit the artist and state that the work is in the public domain. If you cannot locate the artist, or if the artist is deceased, contact the publisher, or in the case of a photograph or other artwork, contact the place or website where you found it.  This could include art galleries, colleges, or museums. They may own the copyright or be able to put you in touch with the copyright owner.
  • If your entry is from a book, magazine or pattern you are given the permission to make the quilt for your own use. To show it publicly or enter it into competition, it is considered polite to ask for the designer’s permission. Check the inside cover pages of the book or magazine and the back of the pattern or the artist’s website information for contact information. Contact the publisher and/or search for the artist’s website on the internet if you are unable to find the necessary information. A brief e-mail telling the artist that you have made a quilt from their pattern or artwork and that you are asking their permission to enter your work into the NJS.  It is always nice to include a photo of your work.
Awards

Special Awards (3)

Three special awards recognize excellence in workmanship.
Best of Show $6,000
Dorothy McMurdie Founder Award $2,500
Viewers’ Choice $2,000

 

Category Awards (24)

First Place ($1,000), Second Place ($500) and Third Place ($250) winners are recognized in each of the following 8 categories:
Art | Abstract – Wall Quilts
Art | Portrait – Wall Quilts
Art | Landscapes, Still Life – Wall Quilts
Quilts from Patterns | Books | Social Media – Wall and Bed Quilts
Traditional – Wall and Bed Quilts
Modern – Wall and Bed Quilts
Textile Translations – Wall Quilts
Wearables

 

Awards of Excellence (10)

Awards of Excellence are valued at $1,000 each:

  • Machine Quilting Frameless: fabric is not held by a frame and moved under the needle
  • Machine Quilting Framed: fabric is secured in a frame and the machine is moved over the fabric
  • Hand Quilting: traditional and contemporary hand-quilting
  • Workmanship for Applique
  • Workmanship for Piecing
  • Workmanship by a First Time Exhibitor in the CQA/ACC National Juried Show
  • Innovation: from an original design
  • Threadwork Using WonderFil Thread
  • Threadwork Using Aurifil Thread *New in 2022*
  • Group Quilt: 3 or more quilt makers

 

Judges Choice Awards

Special awards recognize excellence in workmanship. Each of the Judge’s Choice awards are valued at $250.