Sioux City Art Center Celebrates Omaha Quilter Heather Akerberg

Heather Akerberg is an award-winning textile artist whose bold, contemporary quilts have a deep respect for traditional techniques yet continually push the boundaries of quilting as a fine art medium. Born in Sioux City and now based in Omaha, Nebraska, Akerberg begins each new piece with a digital design that plays with tonal color and intricate patterns.

Using a range of materials, from yarn-dyed and hand-dyed cotton to upcycled silks, Akerberg constructs layered compositions that experiment with color, repetition, and geometric abstraction. Her work is informed by her background in literature and creative writing, and often incorporates themes of language, memory, and transformation.

Akerberg earned a BA in Creative Writing from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and an MFA from Brown University. Her quilts have been juried into dozens of national and international exhibitions, with pieces shown in France, Australia, Japan, and throughout the United States. She is a member of the Omaha Modern Quilt Guild and the Studio Art Quilt Association (SAQA), and her work is in the permanent collection of the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska, as well as private collections.

Both, And is her first exhibition at the Sioux City Art Center, returning to her hometown with artworks that reflect both her strong creative voice and connection to this region. You can follow her on Instagram @gladhand_sew.

The exhibition will be on view March 6 - June 14, 2026 in our 2^nd floor gallery.

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Sioux City Art Center is a partnership between the City of Sioux City and the Art Center Association of Sioux City.

Visiting the Sioux City Art Center
Sioux City Art Center is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. The Sioux City Art Center is located at 225 Nebraska Street, Sioux City, IA.

Additional information is available by contacting the Sioux City Art Center at (712) 279-6272, ext. 200 or https://www.siouxcityartcenter.org.