"Quilt National '97," a biennial juried art quilt exhibit, will be on display from July 6 through August 1 at the Colby Museum of Art. An opening reception is planned for Thursday, July 8, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The exhibition, consisting of 31 quilts, is one of three traveling shows that comprise a total of eighty quilts. "Quilt National '97,"which is co-sponsored by the Augusta-based Pine Tree Quilters Guild, is the tenth exhibition of international art quilts presented in 20 years by the Dairy Barn Southeastern Ohio Cultural Arts Center. Jurors for this collection selected final works from more than twelve hundred submitted by nearly six hundred quilt makers, the largest pool of entries ever submitted to "Quilt National." This will be the first time a "Quilt National" exhibit has been shown in Maine.

Among the quilts on display is Elizabeth Busch's "Great Barrier Reef: Submerge." Machine pieced and machine quilted, it employs textile inks on canvas, embellished with acetate, metal leaf and mica powders. The piece measures 49 by 20 inches.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The public is invited, and admission is free. The museum is accessible to people with disabilities. For additional information, call 872-3228.