Awards presented at Vandalia Gathering Concert, May 27

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) unveiled the annual exhibition, Quilts and Wall Hangings 2022, in the Great Hall of the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, and announced the winners of the juried exhibition at the opening concert of the annual Vandalia Gathering.

This year, the popular juried exhibition features 62 creative quilts and wall hangings representing the talents of West Virginians from 19 counties. There are 43 quilts and 19 wall hangings in the exhibition, which will remain on display through Sept. 13, 2022. 

“Quilt making is one of West Virginia’s oldest and most treasured art forms,” said Charles Morris, museums director. “This annual display is a favorite for many West Virginians and for quilters and quilt lovers from around the country. It is one of our most popular displays.”

The exhibition features the work of 58 quilters. Winners were selected by Linda Luggen, a quilter for over 30 years, teacher, lecturer and NQA Certified Judge from Cincinnati, Ohio. Luggen selected winners in four categories: pieced quilts, applique quilts, mixed/other quilts and wall hangings. Quilt awards are $750 for first place, $400 for second place and $300 for third place. The wall hanging awards are $400 for first place, $300 for second place and $200 for third place. The department made one purchase, and the juror designated a Best of Show prize of $100. In addition, three nonmonetary honorable mention distinctions were made.

First place winners in this year’s exhibition include Linda Dotson Vaughan of Caldwell, Greenbrier County, for Love to Embroider in the Mixed/Other Quilt category (Best of Show); Nancy Swisher of Fairmont, Monongalia County, for Dinner Plate Dahlia, in the Pieced Quilt category; Carol Miller of Bruceton Mills, Preston County, for Flowers Bloom in the Applique category, and Amy Pabst of LeRoy, Roane County, for Patriot in the Wall Hanging category.

For the seventh consecutive year, the department’s Quilt and Wall Hanging Exhibition will feature a National Association of Certified Quilt Judges (NACQJ) Award of Merit. This year’s winner is Nancy Swisher for Dinner Plate Dahlia. As an NACQJ certified judge, Luggen had the option of awarding this special ribbon. The award goes to a quilter whose work shows creativity and who has achieved recognized standards of quilt making excellence.

The Culture Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information about this year’s exhibition, contact Laiken Blankenship, exhibits coordinator, at 304-558-0220 or Laiken.J.Blankenship@wv.gov.

QUILT AND WALL HANGING EXHIBITORS (Alphabetical Order)

Dianna Adkins

Ona, Cabell County

Antique Nine Patch

Pieced

NFS

Jerry Adkins

Hurricane, Putnam County

The Rose

Pieced

NFS

Lynn Andrews

Huntington, Cabell County

Diamond Chain Star

Wall hanging

Quilter: Karen Hartman

NFS

Linda Ashcraft

Cowen, Webster County

Roscoe

Pieced

Quilter: Kim Roberts

$1,200

Geneal Bailey

LeRoy, Jackson County

Triangle Star

*Honorable Mention, Mixed/Other

NFS

Greta Ball

Barboursville, Cabell County

En Pointe

Wall Hanging

NFS

Barbara Battles

Summersville, Nicholas County

Splendid Sample

Mixed/Other

Quilter: Claudia Covey

NFS

Diana L. Beverage

Marlinton, Pocahontas County

Cadence Court

NFS

and

Sunshine Mandala

NFS

Frances Fischer Braden

Wheeling, Ohio County

Yum Yum Basket

Wall hanging

Quilter: Jim Braden

NFS

Mary L. Brown

Hurricane, Putnam County

Out of Bounds

Pieced

Quilter: Lovenia Casto

NFS

Jeanie Brown

Summersville, Nicholas County

Journey

Pieced

NFS

Ramonda Carpenter

Walton, Roane County

Hearts and Gizzards

*2nd Place, Applique

Quilter: Marylea Young

$260

and

USA

Wall hanging

Quilter: Marylea Young

NFS

Agnes Casto

Fayetteville, Fayette County

Welsh Beauty Wholecloth

*3rd Place, Mixed/Other

NFS

Lovenia Casto

Milton, Cabell County

Unnamed

*3rd Place, Wall hanging

NFS

Laura Ceperley

Charleston, Kanawha County

Appalachian Gold (Prayers for Ukraine)

Wall Hanging

NFS

Emily Christian

Charleston, Kanawha County

The Bronte Sisters

Wall hanging

NFS

LaDonna Clemmer

Elkview, Kanawha County

Butterflies

*3rd Place, Applique

Quilter: Marie Angus

$650

Claudia Covey

Gassaway, Braxton County

Bow Diddley

Pieced

NFS

and

Jacobean Delight

*2nd Place, Wall hanging

NFS

William Dalton

Princeton, Mercer County

WV Wonders

Wall hanging

Quilter: Stitch in a Ditch

$130

Joyce Davis

Cottageville, Jackson County

Elemental

Pieced

NFS

Elwanda Dennison

Mt. Clare, Harrison County

West Virginia Star

Pieced

$2,000

Kathryn Eagle

Charleston, Kanawha County

Elephant Abstractions

Pieced

$956

Becky Forinash

Clarksburg, Harrison County

Freedom Bound

Pieced

Quilter: Dave Ramsburg

$1,560

Connie Forth

Barboursville, Cabell County

Double Wedding Ring

Pieced

NFS

Roberta Gellner

St. Marys, Pleasants County

Henderson Medallion

Wall hanging

NFS

Pat Habenshuss

Charleston, Kanawha County

Annie

Wall hanging

NFS

Karen Hartman

Harts, Lincoln County

Walkabout

Pieced

NFS

Linda Diane Heldreth

Princeton, Mercer County

Split Log Cabin

Pieced

Quilter: The Sewing Gallery

NFS

Beverly Javins

Charleston, Kanawha County

Honk Honk

Wall hanging

NFS

Fran Kordek

Morgantown, Monongalia County

Raven Rock

Wall Hanging

NFS

Mary Anne McCune

Charleston, Kanawha County

Double Wedding Ring Wholecloth

Mixed/Other

NFS

Edna Meisel

Huntington, Cabell County

The Mountain State

Pieced

Quilter: Heidi Smithers

NFS

Carol A. Miller

Bruceton Mills, Preston County

Flowers Bloom

*1st Place, Applique

NFS

Juanita Moran

Masontown, Preston County

Christmas Star

Wall hanging

NFS

Pamela Tice Newman

Charleston, Kanawha County

Stars Over Baltimore

*2nd Place, Mixed/Other

Quilter: JLK

NFS

and

Beach Bums

Wall hanging

Quilter: JLK

NFS

Martha Osborn

Charleston, Kanawha County

Kokopelli

Wall Hanging

NFS

Amy Pabst

LeRoy, Roane County

Patriot

*1st Place, Wall Hanging

$2,080

Carol Pizzino

Elkins, Randolph County

Super Cool, Groovy Mood

Pieced

Quilter: Diana Beverage

NFS

Julia Plunkett

Wheeling, Ohio County

April Showers

Pieced

Quilter: Gail Ruminski

NFS

Cookie Ranson

Poca, Putnam County

Hearthside Seasons

Mixed/Other

NFS

Kimberly Roberts

Nettie, Nicholas County

Oh My Gosh

*2nd Place, Pieced

NFS

Anne Sizemore

Hurricane, Putnam County

Star Dance

Pieced

Quilter: JLK

NFS

Gayleen Smith

Cross Lanes, Kanawha County

Dreamcatcher

Mixed/Other

Quilter: Jenn Tincher

$1,300

Cathy Sowa

Frametown, Braxton County

Chocolate Diamond with a Hint of Mint

Pieced

Quilter: Sheila Maxey

NFS

Nancy Swisher

Fairmont, Monongalia County

Dinner Plate Dahlia

*1st Place and NACQJ Award of Merit, Pieced

Quilter: Rhonda Braham

NFS

Debbie Tincher

Winfield, Putnam County

Mexican Star Dance

*Honorable Mention, Pieced

Quilter: Sharon Martin

NFS

Serena Toppins

Branchland, Lincoln County

Pine Barr

Pieced

NFS

Linda D. Vaughan

Caldwell, Greenbrier County

Love to Embroider

*1st Place and Best of Show, Mixed/Other

Quilter: Amy Caloccia

NFS

Cynthia Walcutt

Ravenswood, Jackson County

The Nebula

Pieced

Quilter: Brian McCoy

NFS

Demmie Darlene Webb

Huntington, Cabell County

On Ringo Lake

Pieced

NFS

Beth White

Dunbar, Kanawha County

Prickly Pear

*3rd Place, Pieced

NFS

Janice Williams

Princeton, Mercer County

Bali Wedding Star

Mixed/Other

Quilter: Carol Hepler

$1,950

Joan Williams

Lashmeet, Mercer County

Half Square Triangles

Pieced

Quilter: The Sewing Gallery

NFS

Odella Wills

Gallagher, Fayette County

Flying Home

Pieced

NFS

Janet Workman

Mt. Lookout, Nicholas County

Cathedral Window

Pieced

NFS

and

Cathedral Window

Wall hanging

NFS

Marylea Young

Walton, Roane County

Churn Dash

Pieced

NFS

Noca Young

Walton, Roane County

Double Wedding Ring

*Honorable Mention, Pieced

NFS

MEDIA NOTE: Photograph at link below (note: no first place winners were present during awards ceremony):

2022 Quilts and Wall Hangings Awards Ceremony from left to right: WVDACH Curator Randall Reid-Smith; Pamela Tice Newman, Charleston, 2nd Place, Mixed/Other Category; and Laiken Blankenship, WVDACH exhibits coordinator.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ucESPeu-En1uebMI-vofwBIwl5jBbpTi/view?usp=sharing