In the past, many traditional quilts reused and repurposed worn clothing as a practical necessity. In a modern world that is both inundated with textiles and increasingly environmentally aware, many fiber artists have made a conscious effort to return to this upcycling tradition. Artists are repurposing clothing, domestic waste, office supplies, or discarded objects, inspiring new ways of thinking about the materials we use. This exhibition will highlight work that combines sustainability, skill, and imagination, transforming used or unwanted materials into meaningful new art that honors Earth's limited resources.
THIS CALL IS FOR AN ONLINE GALLERY
- Open to all SAQA members
- No entry fee (up to 3 entries per artist)
- No size or date restrictions
Because this is a virtual exhibition, it is critical that submitted images be of the best possible quality: in focus, with clear details, and following SAQA's digital image requirements. Please read Virtual Gallery Submission Guidelines for more details. If you have any questions, please contact us at calls@saqa.art.
Common image errors include:
- Images that are out of focus or too small,
- Cropping images too closely on the full-view image. All edges of the artwork must be visible along with a small amount of contrasting background.
- Distracting elements in the image background - we don't want to see design walls, rugs, your studio, hanging clips, hands, pins, etc.
Don't miss this! We have prepared a handy resource of Tips for Successful Art Quilt Photography.
Jennifer Coghill is a Toronto (T'Karonto) mixed-media fibre artist whose practice centres on reuse and material transformation. Working with ordinary and disposable materials, she creates sewn artworks that explore environmental concerns through the familiar language of domestic textiles. Her interest is in the domestic sphere and the things we use every day, like used coffee filters, tea bags, and discarded grocery bags. Layering these reclaimed materials with cyanotype, natural dyes, rust, and stitch, Coghill’s work often references quilts and blankets while examining ideas of care, comfort, memory, and home in an era of environmental uncertainty. By transforming everyday waste into labour-intensive textile works, she invites viewers to reconsider the value of overlooked materials and the relationships between domestic life, consumption, and the natural world.
Her work has been exhibited in group shows throughout Canada and the US, including SAQA’s Fierce Planets, the World of Threads Festival (2023 & 2026), the Grand National Fibre Art Exhibition (2024 & 2026) and the Ontario Society of Artists. She has presented four independent projects at the DesignTO Festival with another in the works for 2027.
Born in Pittsburgh’s East End in 1950, Louise Silk emerged from a large Jewish family that had emigrated from Eastern Europe in search of opportunity and stability. The social revolutions of the 1960s ignited her desire for change and a 1972 article in MS Magazine about quilting as woman’s art form give her the vehicle of art and craft that became her lifelong passion.
Silk initially kept her art separate from her Jewish identity until a creative crisis in the late 1980s led her to blend spirituality and art, resulting in quilts with deep personal and cultural significance. By the mid-1990s, quilting became Silk’s way of processing life's challenges, including divorce, loss, and personal growth. Today, her art practice explores the transformational power of stitching with ordinary repurposed clothing and textiles. In 2025, she was the subject of an exhibit, A PATCHWORK LIFE at The Western Pennsylvania Heinz History Center. Learn more at https://silkquilt.com
Claire Voelkel-Sedlmeir is a textile artist whose practice centers on sentimental stitching, thoughtful repurposing, and the beauty in seeing the hand of the maker. Claire grew up in Wisconsin, the daughter of Portuguese and German immigrants. During her time as a public- school teacher in New York City, she took photography courses at the School of Visual Arts and began a daily artistic practice. After moving across the world and adapting to small village life in southern Germany, she discovered the versatility of the textile world and hasn’t looked back.
She has since exhibited at the Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Art Museum, in SAQA exhibitions in the US and Europe, and the Ukrainian International Textile and Fibre Art Biennial, among others. She is enjoying being an Aurifil Artisan this year, as well as going back to her roots as an educator and beginning to offer workshops in the textile arts. To learn more, please visit her website at www.clairevoelkel.com.
May 1, 2027 - Online Entry Opens
May 31, 2027 - Online Entry Deadline at 7pm Eastern Time (GMT/UTC-4: New York time)
July 15, 2027 - Notification of Acceptance via email
August 1, 2027 - Online Gallery opens
