PMQG's response to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Actions
Dear Dawn and Kumi,
Hello. My name is Deborah Gaslin, 2026 President of the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, and I am writing on behalf of our board concerning this year's submission process and results. We have had many exhibits in past Sisters Outdoor Quilt Shows (SOQS), and it has always been a great experience for our guild and our members. The PMQG and SOQS are two non-profit organizations committed to promoting quilting and quilters to the public and building strong communities. This makes it especially difficult to voice our deep concerns regarding our experience this year participating in the 2026 SOQS.
This past March 2026, our members submitted 20 quilts inspired by the theme of Vintage Board Games for the 2026 PMQG special exhibit. We were very surprised to find out that two of the quilts, Sara Flynn’s submissions titled The Landlord Game and the First Amendment Game were rejected. After Sara’s subsequent appeal, The First Amendment Game was still rejected.
As President, I began following along with the email communications from the SOQS and Marci MacFarland and Sara Flynn ( PMQG’s SOQS Committee Leaders). These communications address why two of Sara’s quilts were initially rejected and then, subsequently, after appeal, one quilt was accepted for the show. The evidence shows that SOQS guidelines for 2027 were used to reject both quilts. At a side-by-side comparison for the 2026 Guidelines for quilt submission vs the not yet implemented 2027 Guidelines, nowhere in the 2026 Guidelines is there any mention of “no religious or political quilts to be submitted for the show”. All of our members submitted their quilts under the SOQS 2026 guidelines, the basis the SOQS organization gave to every applicant, including our guild and members. At some point in the process, the SOQS decided as an organization to go ahead and use the SOQS 2027 guidelines to assess, review, and accept or reject quilts for the 2026 show. The SOQS did not send out an announcement to our guild and our Committee Leaders that the SOQS committee would be doing so.
In an email received, dated April 7th, the SOQS committee confirmed they were now assessing, reviewing and accepting/rejecting quilts based on their new SOQS 2027 guidelines. “Following the submission review, quilts were evaluated by our Board and the show leadership team using this newly established policy.” (2027 Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show Submission Guidelines).
The SOQS’ reason for rejecting Sara Flynn’s First Amendment Game quilt was that it would be offensive to some business owners who the SOQS relies on for sponsorship and support. [Emphasis added].
“We understand that pieces like yours are created with thoughtful intent and can absolutely be educational, engaging, and accessible to a wide audience. The challenge for our show is that, because quilts are displayed throughout the broader community and on local businesses, we must apply this policy consistently across all submissions, regardless of intent or presentation” and “Because our quilts are displayed throughout the community—including on local businesses that generously host and sponsor the show—we strive to respect the wide range of perspectives represented by both our visitors and our partners. Maintaining a neutral environment is essential to preserving these relationships and ensuring that the show remains accessible and enjoyable for everyone.” (Via the April 7th email).
By implementing your 2027 guidelines on the 2026 submissions, you are clearly not respecting the wide range of perspectives of your participants, visitors, and business partners. This is contrary to your public mission statement: Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show™ is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the public about the art, skill, and heritage of traditional and contemporary quilts and fiber arts, while enhancing the cultural vitality of the community of Sisters and Central Oregon. [Emphasis added]
In our attempt to understand what was happening here, many of us, including myself from the Portland Modern Quilt Guild, attended the SOQS to see how you were implementing your 2027 guidelines for all participants of the 2026 show. We certainly were not expecting to see any religious and political quilts, as your organization wanted to have a “neutral, family-friendly, inclusive show”. What we did find and document were many political and religious quilts being hung for all to see including all of your business owners who monetarily support your show.
We have included pictures of some of the quilts out of the many we found that do not fall under your 2027 guidelines (that your organization had implemented for 2026 applicants). The SOQS was blatantly in violation of its own assessing and vetting process that it decided to implement prematurely with no notice to any applicant after the submission deadline.
We realize as a non-profit organization ourselves that your committee does have the right to conduct itself and its events as it sees fit. And in the spirit of free speech, we have no issue with quilts that express opinions that we do not agree with. And we appreciate that you are working with businesses with diverse political perspectives. But we do take issue with the unequal application of guidelines that were created after quilts were submitted. We look forward to hearing back from you in regards to our concerns.
Respectfully,
Deborah Gaslin and the 2026 Portland Modern Quilt Guild Board
