Fiber Art
In the practice of my art, I have been moved to create pieces that voice my concern about threats to democracy. The right to vote was reaffirmed by a number of constitutional amendments and passage of multiple federal laws. The 19th Amendment, giving the women a right to vote, is key among those actions. However, many of our freedoms are threatened and I find the words of the late Congressman, John Lewis, to best articulate the actions that continue to be needed.
Each of the pieces in this series is described simply by using the quotes that inspire.
33″H x 20″W Textile; distressed, dyed, burned and stitched. Look closely and you will see this flag is stained, tinged with fire. Where we have 50 stars, some people are seeing bullet holes. Yes, our democracy is embattled but voting is its foundation. Vote and encourage others to vote and the banner will continue to […]
20″H X 20″W Textile and paper; dyed, printed, torn, embellished and stitched. The right to vote is considered a fundamental right but when the Fourteenth Amendment was passed in 1866, making all persons born in the United States citizens, Indians on reservations were specifically excluded. Almost half a century later the Indian Citizenship Act of […]
37″H X 23″ W Textile and paper; distressed, printed, burned, torn, appliquéd and stitched. 1964 was known as Freedom Summer with a campaign to register African American voters in southern states, including Mississippi. Three young men, James Chaney, an African American from Meridian Mississippi, with Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, two Jewish men from New […]
38″H x 27″W Hemp and cotton textile, dyed, degraded, burned, printed and stitched. The Constitution of the United States says little about the right to vote but it does give Congress and the federal government the power to establish the “Times, Places and Manner” of national elections and requires every state to have a representative […]
39”H x 24” W Hemp fabric and mulberry paper; hand dyed, printed, collaged and stitched. Racism and bigotry are rampant in our culture, seen in Louisville in the face of Breonna Taylor. Between the murder of George Floyd on May 29, 2020, and December 5, 2022, when I started to design this piece, 229 black […]
Rē-ding 39″H x 24″ W Hemp fabric and mulberry paper; hand dyed, printed, collaged and stitched. Throughout my career as a social worker, I was constantly reminded of the link between illiteracy and failure on many levels. The left panel includes an image from “Where the Wild Things Are”, iconic of children enjoying reading, and […]
39″H x 24″ W Hemp fabric and mulberry paper; hand dyed, printed, collaged and stitched. The Earth as we know it is on a path to disaster if we continue to ignore the threats to the environment. One place very special to me is the Floyd’s Fork watershed, where my home is. Through community leadership […]
39″H x 24″W Hemp fabric and mulberry paper; hand dyed, printed, burned, collaged and stitched. Addiction is dark, disorganized, painful; recovery can be difficult. As a woman in recovery, I see needless deaths and suffering but I also see joy on occasion. Alcoholics and addicts can successfully recover only when they do it for themselves […]
20″ X 20″ Cotton – hand dyed, screen /computer printed and stitched. “Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” Harriet Tubman “Women belong in all the places where decisions are being made. It […]
20″ X 20″ Hemp – hand dyed, screen printed and stitched. To those who have said, “Be patient and wait,” we have long said that we cannot be patient. We do not want our freedom gradually, but we want to be free now! We are tired. We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We […]
20″ X 20″ Hemp – hand dyed, screen printed and stitched. “So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.” John Lewis “Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of […]
20″ X 20″ Hemp – hand dyed, screen printed and stitched. “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” John Lewis – Remarks atop the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 1, 2020 “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle […]
20″ X 20″ Hemp – hand dyed, screen printed and stitched. “We all live in the same house; we all must be part of the effort to hold down our little house. When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just… do something about it. Say something. Have the courage. Have the […]
