On Display: February 2020

February 24, 2020

There are so many fiber-related exhibitions throughout the year, we can’t fit them all into our quarterly Journal, so we’ve decided to take our On Display department to the blog for more promotion of shows! Below are five exhibitions open right now where you can see some amazing fiber work.

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In Flux: Southeast Fiber Art Educators Touring Exhibition

Berea College | Berea, Kentucky, US | Feb 24–March 20, 2020

James Madison University | Harrisonburg, Virginia, US | May 20–June 20, 2020

“Curated around the central idea of change and reflection, In Flux acknowledges those who came before us and anticipates those who will come after us. The exhibition is intended to bring together art that explores and asks a range of questions from a variety of approaches. It travels from school to school, because the individuals in this group are spread among schools throughout the region. It teaches because we as individuals teach. In Flux’s purpose aligns with the mission of the association–which is “dedicated to the continuing interchange of knowledge, the exchange of ideas, and the joy of creating unlimited possibilities within textile medium. SEFEA is committed to maintaining textile traditions while opening pathways for crossing new boundaries.” 

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Color Improvisations 2: International Exhibition of Contemporary Quilts

Springfield Museum of Art | Springfield, Ohio, US | January 4–March 29, 2020

“Color Improvisations 2 is an international exhibition featuring 50 large, improvisational quilts by 43 artists from Canada, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Scotland, and the United States, curated by Nancy Crow, one of the most celebrated and influential quilt artists of the past forty years. All of the quilts Nancy Crow chose for this exhibition are large abstract compositions that were machine-pieced, primarily from hand-dyed fabrics, and also quilted by machine.”

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Fiber and Dye

UC Botanical Garden | Berkeley, California, US | March 9–31, 2020 

“Learn more about the world of natural fibers and dyes. From traditional uses to inspired future innovation in eco-fashion and textiles, a walk through our exhibit illuminates the connection of culture with nature.” 

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Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence

Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts | Melbourne, Florida, US | February 1–April 25, 2020

“The Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts is pleased to present Ubuhle Women: Beadwork and the Art of Independence, a spectacular overview of a new form of bead art, the ndwango (“cloth”), developed by a community of women living and working together in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The plain black fabric that serves as a foundation for the Ubuhle women’s exquisite beadwork is reminiscent of the Xhosa headscarves and skirts that many of them wore growing up. By stretching this textile like a canvas, the artists use colored Czech glass beads to transform the flat cloth into a contemporary art form of remarkable visual depth. Using skills handed down through generations, and working in their own unique style “directly from the soul” (in the words of artist Ntombephi Ntobela), the women create abstract as well as figurative subjects for their ndwangos.”

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Reflections: An Exhibition of the Whidbey Island Surface Design

Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Art Museum | La Conner, Washington, US | January 29–April 26, 2020

“Whidbey Island Surface Design is a group of visual artists living and working on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, Washington State. Though they work in many different media, techniques, and visual traditions, they share a fascination and on-going interest in surface design, the creative exploration of fiber, fabric and mixed media. WISD members create wall hangings, contemporary quilts, hand-made books, encaustic images, fiber art sculptures, basketry and wearable art. We are weavers, mixed-media artists, photographers, dye artists, sewers, beaders, painters and more. Sharing a variety of artistic interests and techniques enriches our experience.”

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Do you have an upcoming fiber-related exhibition that you would like included in On Display? Please email Lauren Sinner (SDJ Managing Editor and SDA Blog Editor) to let her know!