Spotlight on Student Fiber Trends 2026

Overview

The Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance will organize a juried student exhibition of creative works in fiber art, exclusively featuring post-secondary students to honor and encourage the next generation of fiber artists. The exhibition showcases a wide range of content, material, and techniques with the common threads of originality and passion. This is the sixth in a series, with previous exhibitions held in Greenville NC (twice), Athens GA, Murray KY, and Haywood County NC.

Eligibility

Any undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a fiber/textile program or independently pursuing a study of fibers/textiles in the Southeast (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia) at the time of application is eligible to apply.

Key dates

• Entry Deadline: August 18, 2026
• Notification of Acceptance (via email): September 22, 2026
• Window for Delivery of Accepted Work: October 27–31, 2026
• Exhibition Opening: November 7, 2026
• Reception: November 7, 2026
• Exhibition Closing: December 19, 2026
• Deadline for Pick-up of Artwork: January 5–9, 2027

Work requirements

• Each student may submit up to three works
• Submitted work must be original in design and completed after January 1, 2024
• Work must utilize fiber techniques (interlaced, felted, stitched, dyed, coiled, knotted, printed, spun, woven, etc.) and can be of any material
• Only individual work will be considered; no group projects accepted
• Installation work must be personally installed and removed by the student
• Weight limit of 50 pounds including any mounting hardware and/or armature
• Installed work must be no wider than 4 feet and no taller/longer than 7 feet
• Screws allowed for hanging; bolts not allowed

Fees

• SEFAA Members: $20 for up to 3 works
• Non-members: $35 for up to 3 works
• SEFAA members will be emailed a coupon code for a $15 discount during checkout
• Payments accepted by credit card or PayPal

Awards

• First Place: $500
• Second Place: $300
• Third Place: $100
• Honorable Mentions: awarded at the discretion of the juror

Submission requirements

Digital submissions only through CaFE. Each student must submit an artist statement (1,000 characters maximum), answers to application form questions for each piece, and one to three JPEG/JPG image files per work. Images must be minimum 1200 pixels on the longest side, maximum 5 MB file size. Images may be color corrected but not enhanced, with editing limited to cropping and adding or modifying a solid background of white, black, or gray.

Shipping and installation

All shipping costs and insurance are the artist's responsibility. Work may be shipped by any delivery service or hand delivered October 27–31, 2026 to Bella Mongin, W. Hospital Avenue, Suite 103, Chamblee, GA 30341. Label all packing materials and work with your name. Work will be returned in the packing in which it was received, only if pre-paid return postage and shipping insurance labels are included with the initial shipment. Work must be received ready to display and include all mounting/display hardware and clear written installation instructions.

Contact

Southeast Fiber Arts Alliance, [email protected], 678-235-4328. Juror: Jeanne Brady, award-winning textile print artist and former Professor of Fibers at the Appalachian Center for Craft.