DAYTON, VA (Rocktown Now) — The Virginia Quilt Museum announced the opening of Stitching Together History: 250 Quilts Commemorating the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Opening July 4, 2026, and remaining on display through December 22, 2026, the exhibition will feature 257 quilts created by fiber artists from across the United States. Each quilt measures 20 inches by 20 inches and offers an interpretation of a person, place, event, or idea connected to Virginia’s past.

According to officials, the exhibition is the culmination of a nationwide call for entries held throughout 2024. More than 275 quilts were submitted for consideration before being juried and narrowed to the final collection of 257 works. Participating artists represent Virginia and numerous states across the country, reflecting a broad range of artistic perspectives and historical interpretations.

“Stitching Together History is an extraordinary exhibition commemorating the history of Virginia and West Virginia,” said Alicia Thomas, Executive Director of the Virginia Quilt Museum.

“Quilters and fiber artists from around the country created beautiful and thought-provoking quilts that showcase a vast array of topics that highlight how diverse, uplifting, and incredible the history of our great Commonwealth is. There are serious quilts that deal with the difficult parts of history. There are humorous quilts that examine the lighter side of our past. There are quilts about heroes, there are quilts about everyday people. There are quilts that showcase the beauty of both the natural and the built landscape. There are quilts that make you think, quilts that make you laugh, and quilts that may surprise you. In many ways the history of Virginia is the history of the United States.”

The exhibition aligns with the nationwide America250 and Virginia250 commemorations, which recognize the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Through the artistry of quilting, Stitching Together History invites visitors to reflect on the stories, achievements, challenges, and individuals that have contributed to the Commonwealth’s identity and its role in the broader American experience.

In conjunction with the exhibition, Schiffer Publishing has published a companion volume featuring the quilts and their stories, creating a lasting record of this significant collaborative project and the artists who contributed to it.

Admission information, museum hours, and additional details about Stitching Together History: 250 Quilts Commemorating the Commonwealth of Virginia are available at Virginia Quilt Museum | Dayton, Virginia.