Welcome to the official website for the Quilt & Surface Design Symposium.

About QSDS

The Quilt & Surface Design Symposium was founded in 1990 by Nancy Crow and Linda Fowler.  30 years later, we strive to present one of the most comprehensive art quilt conferences in the world, offering a wide variety of fiber arts classes and highly qualified instructors. Michael James, world-renowned quilter and co-founder of the art-quilt movement, calls QSDS "the meeting place to connect with other innovative quilt artists from all over the world."

QSDS is now proudly organized by director Tracy Rieger.

Symposium classes are held at the Columbus College of Art and Design in downtown Columbus, Ohio.  The campus is adjacent to the Columbus Museum of Art and is a quick drive to the Short North arts district, the hub of the Columbus art and social scene.

We welcome all levels of artists interested in textile arts and related media. We offer classes in art quilting, surface design, hand and machine sewing, composition, color theory, embroidery, fabric dyeing, multi-media and much more.

QSDS is committed to offering a creative atmosphere where serious and intensive learning happens in a supportive and sharing environment.  Students and teachers gather from all over the globe to exchange ideas, gain insights, learn cutting-edge techniques and challenge each other to push the boundaries of what is considered craft and fine art.