LOWELL, Mass. – An exhibition titled the Best of Quilting in Canada: A Juried Exhibition from the Canadian Quilters Association will be displayed at the New England Quilt Museum through May 6.

The Canadian Quilters’ Association/Association Canadienne de la courtepointe (CQA/ACC) was started in 1982 to promote and celebrate quilting and Canadian quilters. It is the only national quilting organization in Canada, where the art of quilting continues to evolve as new techniques combine with the traditional.

To advance its mission, CQA/ACC holds an annual conference, Quilt Canada, in locations across the country. The quilts in this exhibition are a selection of juried entries into the National Juried Shows at Quilt Canada 2021 (virtual) and Quilt Canada 2022 in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Quiltmaking as an art continues to evolve in Canada as innovation and experimentation combine with tradition. The 43 works in the exhibition represent an extraordinary range of styles, subjects and techniques, from Mick Jagger’s unmistakable smile rendered in fabric collage to a meticulously hand-quilted and appliqued album quilt of brightly colored foliage and birds.

Perhaps as diverse and intriguing as the quilts on display are the Canadians who made them. Best of Show winner Colette Dumont lives on a 2,200-acre farm with 350 milking cows and a maple syrup business in Quebec. After a long day’s work on the farm, Colette quilts and embroiders to relax. Like Dumont, the nature-lovers, photographers, adventurers and artists whose works are on view in The Best of Quilting in Canada exemplify the multicultural influences and boundless creativity of Canada’s contemporary quiltmakers.

Visit the website of the New England Quilt Museum and see its dedicated page for The Best of Quilting in Canada: A Juried Exhibition from the Canadian Quilters Association.