I was in Paducah for the openine/dedication of the museum in Paducah. I have been there several times since then. I think it is wonderful, along with a lot of other people. The museum purchases for its permanent collection the winning quilt from the yearly quilt show. So, you are getting, in essence, the best of what is out there for the year. It isn't easy getting juried into the show. I have seen some quilts that I definitely didn't like, but they had some merit or they wouldn't have been chosen for purchase. I question that every single quilt in the collection was machine quilted. I have been to the Nashville show (AQS) also, and not all have been machine quilted. Better luck in choosing your venue next time. Sorry you were disappointed.