The biggest quilters’ showcase on the West Coast, Road to California, returned to Ontario on Jan. 21, bringing together quilters and vendors from across the world to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The four-day event and preview night hosted 30,000 attendees, including quilters, vendors and enthusiasts from all around the world. Quilters showcased their advanced use of mixed media, fabrics, paints and threads to create the art pieces that hung in the event’s gallery. The hall featured 140 local and out-of-state vendors selling handcrafted merchandise, from tote bags, bedazzled t-shirts, patterns, hand-dyed fabrics and do-it-yourself quilt kits.
Several quilts were showcased in the gallery, ranging from different categories, including animal, abstract, applique, human image, improv, naturescape, pictorial and pieced. A contest took place where quilters from around the world were awarded a ribbon and a cash prize for their art pieces.
Winner of the Best of Show ribbon, Aki Sakai from Hachioji, Japan, was awarded for her quilt “Happy Days.” Her hand-appliqued, quilted and embroidered quilt, centered on her love for dollhouses, depicts her favorite things and snapshots of her fondest family memories.
Other quilts featured in the special quilt exhibitions displayed complex and diverse themes. The Free to Sp%@k [Speak] exhibit captured many eyes with its strong political messaging. The artists featured in the exhibit, Kathryn Pellman, Kelly Hartigan Goldstein and Marty Ornish, made comments on the nation’s current state of democracy, First Amendment protections and gun violence through quilting.
One of Pellman’s displayed quilts, “Donald Trump Made in China Owned by Putin”, made entirely of commercial cotton, wool and silk, depicts an American flag with embroidered cursive text of the First Amendment and critiques of President Donald Trump.
The themes displayed in the exhibits demonstrated the role that the art of quilting plays as an outlet for artistic expression, storytelling and political and social commentary.
Inspiring new quilters and recognizing quilting legends, the closing day on Jan. 24 featured a meet and greet with former PBS host of “Quilts in a Day,” Eleanor Burns, for attendees to socialize and connect with. Burns, who was honored as a Quilter Hall of Famer in 2012, has taught and inspired generations of quilters by teaching techniques that made quilting easy, not intimidating for beginners.
The event also featured hands-on classes that accommodate different skill levels on topics, including sewing, piercing, quilting and rotary cutting. Attendees got an opportunity to learn from experienced and trained instructors.
Road to California has hosted its annual quilters’ conference and showcase at the Ontario Convention Center since 1998. The Ontario Convention Center is a prominent cultural venue in the Inland Empire that hosts numerous shows, exhibits and meetings year-round.
Road to California’s first-ever show was held on the ground floor wing of today’s Ontario Airport Hotel, not far from its current home at the Ontario Convention Center, according to the event’s webpage. Conveniently located near the Ontario International Airport, the Road to California show and conference remains a prime destination for traveling quilters coming from out of state.
Upon entering the Ontario Convention Center, attendees were welcomed by the mix of vibrant fabrics, abstract shapes and vivid colors as rows of quilts hung above the grand hall entrance. The quilts throughout the venue reflected the growing innovation and creative expression within the quilting community. Pushing the boundaries by implementing unconventional materials like zippers, clothing, doilies and charms onto the quilts. Road to California remains a central hub for quilters all around the world to share insight and praise one another’s creativity, skills and talent.
As attendees filled the convention center, it gave a glimpse of what’s in store for the future of Road to California. The annual event held every January in Ontario went to the East Coast last year, launching its second annual show, Road to Virginia. This year, Road to Virginia, hosted at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, will mark its second year, coming in June. The 30-year celebratory event marked a milestone for the quilting community and Road to California’s family-run conference, as thousands of attendees join in the space every year, recognizing talented quilters from around the world.