Why I’m Boycotting The American Quilter’s Society
Like all of my blog posts, no AI was used in the creation of this article.
What is the AQS?
Formed in 1984, the American Quilter’s Society is an organization that hosts quilt shows, competitions, workshops and publishes books and magazines championing the art of quilting. Per their mission statement, the AQS “is dedicated to TODAY's quilter. Inspired by the enduring creativity and importance of quilts and quilt-making, our objective is to provide a forum for quilters of all skill levels to expand their horizons in quilt making, design, self-expression, and quilt collecting.”
What’s the big deal?
Quilts have a long tradition as protest art. From the well-known works of contemporary artists like Bisa Butler and Faith Ringgold, to countless unnamed artists working from their homes over the centuries, quilts have been used to create political messages, both subtle and overt. I daresay quilting and protest go hand-in-hand.
Imagine my surprise when I recently learned that Laura’s Shaw’s quilt on reproductive rights (titled: “Your Mother. Your Daughter. Your Sister. Your Grandmother. You.) was banned from all AQS shows in 2025. The same quilt has recently been touring around the world on exhibit with SAQA, a well-respected organization of art quilters. (Note: Laura’s quilt will still tour as part of the global SAQA exhibition, but was singled out to be excluded from AQS shows within the tour)
Laura Shaw’s censored quilt: Your Mother. Your Daughter. Your Sister. Your Grandmother. You.
For such dramatic censorship, you would think that the quilt would be graphic, or something that could upset viewers. Except it’s not. A series of patchwork squares in shades of red and white, any viewer who didn’t read the artist’s statement wouldn’t be phased by it at all. (Read her poignant artist’s statement here.)
A History of Censorship in the AQS
Laura Shaw’s quilt isn’t the first to be banned from American Quilt Society shows. Let’s dig into a little history:
Jonathan Shannon: Amigos Muertos
Jonathan Shannon: after becoming the first male to win the “Best of Show” title in 1993, Jonathan Shannon had his quilt, Amigos Muertos, banned from AQS shows the following year. His quilt, illustrative, but not graphic in nature, was a commemoration of the lives of artists who had died from AIDS and cancer. (“Amigos Muertos” went on to win England’s Patchwork Championship, and has since been honored as one of the “Hundred Quilts of the Century”)
Hollis Chatelain: an incredible illustrative quilt artist, in 2005, Hollis had a quilt which depicted an African woman nursing her baby banned from the show.
Kathy Nida: a California-based quilt artist, whose works include commentaries on the environment and other political issues, had her quilts pulled from an AQS show in Grand Rapids, MI when a viewer complained that they saw a penis. (There was no penis in the quilt -read her blog post and see the aforementioned quilt here.)
Withholding my Time and Talent
Given this censorship, I haved contacted the AQS to voice my concern. I’ve also decided that I will no longer show my work with the American Quilter’s Society. I stand in solidarity with the artists who have been censored, and I encourage other artists to withhold their time, talent, and money in the form of application fees and memberships.
I’m blessed to be able to use my voice in this way. I believe in my work, and that it will find its audience without AQS shows and prizes.
Whether visual artists, writers, or musicians, I believe the job of the artist is to synthesize the world around them, and reflect it back. That requires truth-telling, often uncomfortable for both the artist and the viewer. Blessed are the truth-tellers who refuse to be silenced. I stand with you.
