Interpretations 2025
Call for Entries

 

Visions Museum of Textile Art (VMOTA) is proud to announce the call for entries for Interpretations 2025, the museum’s 26th international juried exhibition. Exhibition jurors, Holly Brackmann, Luisa Gil Fandino, and Paula Kovarik and will select innovative textile art that explores form and technique of 2D artworks, 2D art quilts, and 3D wall hanging and free-standing work that highlight fiber. Selected works will be featured in a full-color exhibition catalog. Cash prizes will be awarded.

Interpretations 2025 will be on display at VMOTA in San Diego, from October 17, 2025 to January 10, 2026. VMOTA will send accepted artists further information regarding participation during Interpretations 2025 Festival Days. Festival Days may include workshops, lectures, artist meet and greets, receptions and other gatherings. Participation by selected artists is highly encouraged but not required.

KEY DATES

Jan 1, 2025	Call for Entry Opens (Online Only)
Feb 7, 2025	Call for Entry Closes (12 midnight PST)
April 7, 2025	Artists notified of jurors’ selections
Apr 21, 2025	Public announcement of accepted artists
Sep 22, 2025	Deadline for artwork to arrive at VMOTA
Oct 17-18, 2025	Interpretations 2025 Festival Days
Oct 17-18, 2025	Award & Donor Party (17th), Artists' Talks & Dinner (18th)
January 10, 2026	Exhibition Closes
Jan 24, 2026	Artwork pick up deadline
Jan 29, 2026	Artwork shipping deadline

 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND ELIGIBILITY

• Entry is open to the general public. Museum membership is not required.
• Artists may submit up to three (3) entries. Only one (1) entry by each artist may be selected.
• The non-refundable fee for entering up to three (3) works is $40 for all VMOTA members and $50 for non-members. To become a member click here vmota.org/join/.
• Artwork submitted for consideration must have been completed on or after January 1, 2023 and not having been exhibited at a venue within a 100 mile radius of San Diego.
• Artwork must be original and produced by the individual or a collaboration of a maximum of two (2) artists. Works created in a workshop or class are not eligible for submission.
• Artworks for sale are strongly encouraged; however, NFS (Not for Sale) works may be entered.
• VMOTA will provide more information on the sale of artwork to the selected artists.

 

ARTWORK SPECIFICATIONS

General specifications

• There are no minimum size requirements.
• There is a 20 pound weight maximum for any work.
• All entries must highlight fiber.
• Artwork must be clearly labeled with the artist's name and the title of the artwork.

 Specifications for 2D art quilts and 2D artworks

• All 2D art quilts and artworks must be sent in “ready to display” condition with hanging apparatus attached.
• Maximum size requirement for a 2D art quilt or 2D artworks is 72 inches H x 72 inches W. This includes framed or stretched work.
• All wall hung art must hang without distortion either with stretcher bars, stitched on sleeve, or other integrated hanging system.
• Art quilts, unless framed or stretched, must have a 3 inch sleeve securely attached to the back of the art quilt. Art quilts 50 inches or wider must have a center opening in the sleeve to allow for the hanging system VMOTA uses. A second sleeve at the bottom of the work is recommended.

 Specifications for 3D work

• Free standing and wall hanging 3-dimensional sculptural works may be submitted.
• Maximum size requirements for the free-standing work is 72 inches H x 24 inches W x 24 inches D.

PHOTOGRAPHY REQUIREMENTS

• All submissions for consideration must be accompanied by photographs that meet the following requirements:
  • One (1) overall digital image and one (1) detail digital image for each piece of artwork.
  • Digital images must be saved as a high-quality JPEG file (no TIFF files).
  • Finished images should be 2500 pixels or more on the longer side.
  • There is a 4 MB maximum on any image that is uploaded. 
    • For help with resizing an image, click here.
  • Image file name must contain the artist surname, first initial and title of work, e.g. for Andrea Bacal’s Tulips filename would be bacalatulips. Do not use special characters, e.g., apostrophes, in your image file name. There is a security setting on the webserver that does not allow these characters to be uploaded.

• If the images submitted do not meet our requirements, VMOTA staff will contact you.

For information or questions about Interpretations 2025, please contact us at interpretations2025@gmail.com.

SELECTION

• The decision of the jurors is final.

• VMOTA reserves the right to refuse to exhibit or to remove from the exhibition any art quilt which, upon receipt, is deemed unsuitable, including
  • poor quality
  • presence of hazardous materials
  • misrepresentation in the entry form or digital images. Selected art quilts will be compared with the images sent to jurors before the final selection is completed.
• Selected artwork must be available from September 22, 2025 through January 14, 2026.

 

NOTIFICATION

      VMOTA will notify artists of jurors' selections via email by April 7, 2025.

      A public announcement will be made on April 21, 2025.

SHIPPING AND INSURANCE

• Artwork must be delivered by September 22, 2025 for the installation of the exhibition.
• Selected artists are responsible for packing, shipping and insurance in transit both ways. A prepaid FedEx, DHL, USPS or UPS shipping label or account number is required for return shipping.
• Selected artwork by non-US residents may be subject to additional customs duty.
• VMOTA does not assume responsibility for customs or brokerage charges. Artists will reimburse VMOTA for any such charges incurred.
• All artwork will be handled with extreme care and, when possible, returned in their original packing materials.
• VMOTA insures accepted work while in its possession at 60% of the retail price or the declared insurance value of not for sale (NFS) works. Artists may be asked to justify the insurance value if required.

COPYRIGHT

The artist retains the copyright of the work at all times. VMOTA will retain all images of selected artworks for promotional and educational purposes. Acknowledgment of the artist will be made in all such uses.

 
DECLARATION

If an accepted artwork is withdrawn from the exhibition by the artist, that artist will be ineligible to submit to any VMOTA juried exhibition for the subsequent two juried exhibitions.

 
JUROR INFORMATION
 
Holly Brackmann

Holly Brackmann is Professor Emerita of Textiles and Art History at Mendocino College, Ukiah CA. She wrote a definitive book, The Surface Designer's Handbook: Dyeing, Printing, Painting and Creating Resists on Fabric. She has created architectural scale wall hangings, as well as miniature textiles.

Because of her understanding of dyeing techniques, she often combines a variety of dyes, and digital imagery to create multi-media pieces. Her knowledge has been shared in many magazine articles, curating textile and craft exhibitions, teaching, and exhibiting internationally. Her work has been featured in Quilts=Art=Quilts, Art Quilt Elements, Quilt Visions, Interpretations, SAQA Exhibitions, and by the Surface Design Association. Currently, she serves on the Studio Art Quilt Associates and Community Foundation of Mendocino County Boards.

Luisa Gil Fandino

Luisa is an assistant professor in the Textiles and Apparel Program at the University of Texas in Austin. Besides her strong passion for textiles and fabrication techniques , she is also interested in sustainability in the textile industry and in building interdisciplinary opportunities for her students. During her time at the University, she has also been a guest lecturer for the School of Architecture, the School of Fine Arts and also constantly speaks to different student organizations about the overlap of Textiles with other disciplines.

Luisa also enjoys mentoring students and creating platforms for collaboration like the UT chapter of AATCC ( American Association of Colorists and Chemists), being the Principal Investigator for Women’s Relief Initiative, a student led project that aims to bring sanitary garments to Africa, advising Bridging Disciplines and Honors thesis (Polymatics and Dean’s Honors), and being part of the founding team of Cientifico Latino UT Austin Chapter . Luisa is also part of the faculty team that was awarded the 2019-2020 President's Award for Global Learning which is designing and prototyping sustainable materials for the fashion industry.

Paula Kovarik                                                                                           

Paula Kovarik is a full-time artist and fiber art teacher from Memphis, TN. With a background in design and art history from Southern Illinois University and a 30-year career as a designer she creates story and art with stitch and fabric. Kovarik’s award-winning fiber art has been recognized by Quilt National, Quilts=Art=Quilts, World of Threads, and FiberArt Now—Excellence in Fibers. She has been profiled in Smithsonian American Craft and FiberArt Now magazines. Her work is featured in Art Quilts Unfolding – 50 Years of Innovation and Art Quilts International Abstract & Geometric. Her work has been collected by the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, NE, the International Airport in Memphis, TN as well as private collections.

 
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS

For information or questions about Interpretations 2025, please contact us at interpretations2025@gmail.com.

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