When I was in high school in New York City in the ‘70s, it was de rigueur for girls to clothe themselves from local thrift shops. It was not unusual to see your friends in Lanvin or Schiaparelli working a Bunsen burner in bio class. That was before Upper East Side ladies donated to the Met, and before the Costume Institute was established and before there was a sizable tax benefit to giving away your vintage Valentino. As a societal force, sustainability was just getting a bit of traction and it was a small circle of worrywarts who pondered, “what’s going to happen to all this stuff in 59 years?” The Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) has mounted a thought-provoking exhibition entitled, “Unusual Threads: Stitching Together the Future of Fashion,” that centers on the haute couture fashion industry’s need to reinvent itself season after season with the dual purpose of producing a … [Read more...] about SVAC’S RECYCLED BEAUTY: UNUSUAL FASHION THREADS SHOWCASED IN VERMONT
textile art
TAKING FORM: FIBERS & FABRIC AT GALATEA FINE ART
In collaboration with The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts, Galatea Fine Art is currently presenting the works of internationally established artists who teach at the school. Jodi Colella, Merill Comeau and Kristina Goransson show their pieces in the “Taking Form: Fibers & Fabric” exhibition. All of the work on display employs fabric, fibers and textiles in an inimitable manner. Each artist brings an entirely different aspect to the intimate space through their variant works, while showing their dedication to craftsmanship. From creating and dying wool fabric from scratch; quilting with various textiles; and sculpting with taxidermy, toys and fabric, the dedication and passion for uncommon material is clear throughout the exhibition. The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts, located in Boston, Massachusetts, partners with Galatea twice a year, once in the Fall and once … [Read more...] about TAKING FORM: FIBERS & FABRIC AT GALATEA FINE ART
Common Threads: Contemporary Fiber Art at the Gardner
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is known for many things: the beautiful Venetian palazzo-inspired architecture, the unconventional way it displays its pieces of art, the largest and still-unsolved art heist in history, and Isabella Stewart Gardner’s wide taste in art — from Italian renaissance and medieval European to Asian and Islamic art; from paintings and sculptures to rare books and textiles — to name a few. Keeping in tradition with her love of textiles, “Common Threads: Weaving Stories Across Time,” is on view through January 13. The exhibition features work from contemporary artists who are continuing the tradition of conveying stories and histories in their works while pushing the boundaries of textile art and distorting the line around what can be defined as a tapestry. Their works are housed in both the Hostetter Gallery as well as the Tapestry Room. Walking into the … [Read more...] about Common Threads: Contemporary Fiber Art at the Gardner