Last Updated on March 29, 2024
Paducah, Kentucky will host the annual American Quilters Society’s (AQS) Spring QuiltWeek – Paducah from April 24 – 27, 2024. Known as Quilt City USA®, Paducah is the headquarters for AQS and the original location for QuiltWeek. Paducah serves as an incubator for the fiber arts community which helped secure the city’s designation as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Creative City of Crafts & Folk Art.
This year’s AQS QuiltWeek will feature classes and workshops from 30 instructors, a merchant mall and a quilt contest with $127,700 in cash awards. Special exhibitions on display will include Quilts from Ukraine: Natalia & Illia Lashko and the Ukrainian Quilters Association, featuring quilts made to honor Oleksandra Exter, a famous Ukrainian painter avant-garde, and other quilts representing their country; SAQA: Haven, a collection focusing on the idea that all living creatures need a safe place to heal, regroup, rest or retreat; and The Presidential Quilts, Collection of Sue Reich, a Presidential quilt design chronology from George Washington to Joe Biden.
In addition to the National Quilt Museum, Paducah offers a number of quilt and fabric shops, studios and galleries featuring fiber art. Paducah will also embrace QuiltWeek with other quilt-related community events throughout the city:
View Contemporary Quilts at The National Quilt Museum, Daily
The National Quilt Museum, encompassing 30,000 square feet of contemporary gallery space, is the largest of its kind in the world. Featuring a rotating 650-piece collection of contemporary quilts that celebrate traditional quilt making methods, the museum’s mission is to promote the growth and expansion of quilting. In addition to its permanent collection, the museum also features traveling exhibits comprised of breathtaking works of quilt and fiber. During QuiltWeek, these exhibitions will include
Life Stories by Barbara McCraw, Purpose + Passion by Karen K. Stone and The Stars are Aligned by Karen Nyberg. For more information, visit quiltmuseum.org.
Fantastic Fibers at Yeiser Art Center, March 26 – May 9
Paducah’s Yeiser Art Center will host an international juried exhibition that seeks to showcase a wide range of outstanding works related to the fiber medium. One of Yeiser Art Center’s most engaging, innovative and colorful international exhibits, Fantastic Fibers is an inspirational must see for fine artists, quilters and textile art enthusiasts across the globe.
For more information, visit theyeiser.org.
The Monarch Cherrywood Challenge: April 24 – 29
Every year, Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics chooses a theme and color palette and presents a challenge to quilters from all over the world to see what can be created using a very limited number of colors. Experience the Monarch Cherrywood Challenge at The Respite in Paducah, 502 N. 5th St., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Classes will also be held Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., by Elaine Wick Poplin.
Register at cherrywoodfabrics.com.
Open Quilter Studio at A.I.R. Studio, April 23 – May 1
Contemporary quilter Diana S. Fox will be the artist in residence at Paducah’s A.I.R. Studio located at 621 Madison St. Fox, along with artists Beth Schillig and Donalee Kennedy, will hold open studio hours on April 23 from 1 – 4 p.m., April 27 and May 1 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. An open house with refreshments will be held April 25, from 3 – 7 p.m.
For more information, visit airstudiopaducah.com.
Barn Quilt Projects and Walk-In Painting at Better Than Ever, April 24 – 27
Visit Better Than Ever for paint-your-own-pottery, canvas, wood signs and more. No experience necessary and supplies and instruction are provided.
Demonstrations at Art Guild of Paducah, April 24 – 27
The group that promotes the visual arts and artists in Paducah and the surrounding region, the Art Guild of Paducah, will be offering free demos each day by a variety of artists with artistic techniques including batik, fabric bowls, needle felting and pottery.
For more information, visit artguildofpaducah.org.
Barn Quilt and Flower Painting at MAKE Paducah, April 24 – 25
MAKE, an art studio for all ages, is hosting two nights of crafting on April 24 and 25. Guests can choose to paint their own barn quilt square on Wednesday or paint flowers on Thursday, all while enjoying food and drinks, making for the best night out in Paducah. For more information, visit makepaducah.com.
Fiber Art Exhibition at the 1857 Hotel, March 13 – May 5
The 1857 Hotel, a boutique inn located in downtown Paducah, will exhibit works by fiber artist Liz Riggs for guests to view and shop.
For more information, visit paducah.travel.com.
Quilt Block Printing at McCracken County Public Library, April 25
Paducah’s McCracken County Public Library will host an afternoon of quilt block printing with artist Bob Hurton. Guests can carve their own quilt block or use a pre-made block to print a design on quilting cotton.
For more information, visit mclib.net.
QuiltWeek Tours at Whitehaven Welcome Center
Visitors can enjoy guided tours of Paducah’s 1860s antebellum mansion decorated with more than 50 hand-stitched quilts. Complimentary tours are available daily starting at 9 a.m. with the last tour at 3:45 p.m.
For more information, visit paducah.travel.com.
Loretta Pettway-Bennett at Hotel Metropolitan, April 25-26
Loretta Pettway-Bennett, quilt artist from Gee’s Bend, will lead a discussion on Gee’s Bend Quilts at the W.C. Young Community Center on April 26 at 10 a.m., followed by a talk by Dr. Alicestyne Turley, a long-time scholar of history, political science, sociology and anthropology. Tickets to this event are $28 each.
A celebration to welcome Ms. Pettway Bennett will be held on April 25 at 6 p.m. at the Hotel Metropolitan, and a quilt show will be held at the hotel both April 25 and 26. For more information, visit paducah.travel.com.
For more information on AQS Spring QuiltWeek – Paducah, visit www.paducah.travel/quilting/aqs-quiltweek-paducah.
About the Paducah
Situated in Western Kentucky, halfway between Nashville, and St. Louis, Paducah was founded in 1827 by William Clark of Lewis & Clark fame. Its origin and prosperity are attributed to its strategic location at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers.
A UNESCO Creative City and national heritage destination, Paducah is vibrant and sophisticated, culturally rich and full of flavor. With renowned exhibitions and workshops, the community’s deep-rooted creative culture inspires, educates and fosters connection through the arts.
For more information, visit www.paducah.travel or call 1-800-PADUCAH.
