The Johnson – Humrickhouse Museum’s exhibit of contemporary art quilts, Pushing the Surface, showing through September 1, 2025!

This exhibit is a dance of color, beauty, ingenuity, and story that showcases pieces made by artists with national and international recognition. Although most of the works share the basic structural characteristics of a quilt – joining at least two layers of fiber with stitching – they break from tradition in their design methods. Surfaces may be pieced and patched as one finds in a traditional quilt, but they may also be painted, dyed, laser printed, appliqued, or fused. The techniques are as varied as the subject matter, which is as varied as the effects. In the end, the artists create a truly new statement that speaks to mind and spirit like all great art is meant to do.

Pushing the Surface presents an array of distinct and fascinating art quilts. This is the 14th year Johnson – Humrickhouse Museum has presented this biennial exhibit.

Curated by Elisa Deadman, Roxanna Deadman, and Linda Fowler, Pushing the Surface is a vibrant tapestry of color, texture, and narrative that speaks to both mind and spirit. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Mary F. Taylor Family Fund and the Ohio Arts Council, whose funding helps foster creativity, education, and cultural enrichment across the state.

The Ohio Art Council also helped fund this event with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.