AUBURN - In recent years, a trend has emerged among quiltmakers to create designs that are far more artistic than those of years past.

Though many quilters stick to tried and true methods of designing traditional pieces, others are creating works that have the potential to hang in galleries alongside paintings and other fine art.

And for the past two months, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center has closely followed that trend.

The center's 26th annual Quilts=Art=Quilts exhibit, which closes today, has consisted of 89 quilts ranging from traditional to abstract, created by 80 quilters from all over the world.

The juried show, which over the years has become one of the most prominent quilting exhibits in the nation, received 330 submissions from nearly 200 artists from 31 states and three foreign countries.

“We've had another excellent exhibit this year. I've heard tons of compliments every day that I've been here,” Maureen McEvers, Schweinfurth's visitor receptionist, said.

The exhibit opened Nov. 4, 2007, and the day's festivities included a lecture by quilting expert Jonathan Holstein, who juried the show along with Liz Axford and Nancy Halpern.

Holstein, of Cazenovia, is said to be partially responsible for a modern “quilting renaissance” after his wildly successful quilt exhibit at Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City in 1971.

To correspond with its exhibit, Schweinfurth held several Trunk Shows on various Sundays, which McEvers said were similar to “a quilting show-and-tell.”

One artist who presented a Trunk Show was Mary Diamond, of Interlaken, who also had a quilt called “Handwork” included in the exhibit.

Other local quilters who have works displayed include Nancy Bales, of Skaneateles, whose piece “Down By the Riverside” is an abstract depiction of a stream as viewed through a forest.

“This quilt shows no place in particular #- only the one in my head,” Bales says in her artist's statement, which is posted on a card next to her work.

Examining Bales' quilt Saturday was Karen Lehmann, of Ithaca, who said she has been to numerous Quilts=Art=Quilts exhibits at Schweinfurth.

“You know, to me the quilts are a lot more like fine art this year than they've ever been,” she said.

“They're just stunning.”

One difference Lehmann said she noticed about this year's exhibit is the manner in which the quilts are hung throughout the gallery, noting that the color coordination of the works as a collection is exceptional.

“When you look around, there's so much for your eyes to see,” she said.

“I'm like a kid in a candy store. Do I look here? Do I look here?” she said as she gestured toward various pieces.

“Each quilt is in itself really great, but the bigger picture is the best thing about it.”