Visual Verse was an intensive yearlong collaborative effort in 2003 between textile artists and poets sponsored by the Contemporary QuiltArt Association. The resulting juried exhibition features the innovative works of over two dozen artist/poet partnerships. Completed projects include works in both visual and literary form, investigating these art forms' intersections, connections and departures. The exhibition explores visual/literary collaboration in depth, as each artist/poet pairing committed to documenting their combined process through journaling, photographs, video or audio recording, a web site, or some combination of these, or other media. This documentation is intended as an integral part of the exhibition.

The exhibit was juried by Michael James, internationally known quilt artist and Fellow of both the American Craft Council and the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and Hilda Raz, editor of the literary quarterly PRAIRIE SCHOONER, published poet and professor at the University of Nebraska. It includes the works of a number of internationally known quilt artists and poets, as well as newer arrivals on the artistic scene.

Participating poets include Nikki Giovanni, with more than two dozen books published, Linda Bierds of the University of Washington, and Hilda Raz. Other poets have published a wide range of works in books, chapbooks, anthologies, literary journals, magazines and audio recordings.

Following the October 2003 opening of “Visual Verse” in Seattle the exhibit traveled over the next five years, showing at these locations:
      Hoffman Gallery, Oregon College of Art & Craft, Portland (July 2004)
      University Place Art Center, Lincoln NE (February 2005)
      LaConner Quilt Museum, LaConner WA (May-July 2006)
      Rocky Mtn. Quilt Museum, Golden CO (August-October 2006)
      Center for Arts & History, Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston ID (Dec. 2006)
      Curfman Gallery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO (Jan-March 2008)