Category: Needlework Exhibition


The Exemplary 2023 – Best of Show for Japanese Embroidery

Each year at The Exemplary, the Best of Show for Japanese Embroidery (The Beverly Booker Award) is selected by the Japanese Embroidery judge from First Place winners in that category. This year’s Best of Show for Japanese Embroidery winner is…

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The Exemplary 2023 – Best of Show

Each year at The Exemplary, the Best of Show (Jean Taggart Award) is selected from First Place winners in all categories except Japanese Embroidery. The 2023 Best of Show winner is Rustle of Winter stitched by Helen Gottschalk. Here is…

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The Exemplary 2023 – Popular Choice Award

Each year at The Exemplary, the Popular Choice Award is selected by visitors to the exhibition. Each visitor is eligible to cast one vote, and the piece receiving the most votes receives this award. The 2023 Popular Choice Awardee is…

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Three Ways To See the NAN Permanent Collection

By Patricia Tector, NAN-Certified Master Judge This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in fall 2018. The National Academy of Needlearts (NAN) is very fortunate to have an admirable collection of needleart. The collection is housed at the Gregg…

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Common Issues Seen in Judging Embroidery

By Susan Dawson, NAN-Certified Judge This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in winter 2018. Presentation Many exhibitions require that work be clean. Spots are the most common reason for disqualification of an entry. The best work is always…

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Why Enter The Exemplary?

By Cheryl Christian, 2018 Exemplary Administrator and NAN-certified Judge This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in winter 2018. The Exemplary, the NAN national exhibition, is a highlight of Assembly in the spring. All manner of work is displayed,…

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Yet Another Article About Artist Statements…

By Denise Beusen, Assistant Adminstrator of The Exemplary 2016 This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in winter 2016. Many of you reading this have exhibited for years; for you, it’s inconceivable that anyone could offer a new perspective…

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The Artist Statement — What Is It?

By Dolores Andrew, NAN-Certified Master Judge This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in summer 2014. There are almost as many ways to write an artist statement as there are artists. Mostly, they involve the “why” in your thinking,…

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Five Myths About The Exemplary

By Inez Giles and Carlene Harwick, 2014 Exemplary Administrators This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in winter 2014.  MYTH #1: Entering The Exemplary is much too expensive. To be clear, there is a minimal entry fee for submitting…

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Why Bother?

By Carlene Harwick and Inez Giles, 2014 Exemplary Administrators This article first appeared in NANthology, the NAN newsletter, in fall 2013. Why would anyone want to go through the hassle of packing and shipping needleart pieces just to enter an exhibit?…

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