Artists working in textiles, ceramics, basketry, handmade paper, wood, metal, book arts, video and movement will come together for a group exhibition at the Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) for Holding Together: Cloth, Material & Making.
where the river remembers. Amber M. Jensen, artist
On view from Friday, August 14, through September 19, the exhibition is curated by Marshall artist Amber M. Jensen and features artists from across North Carolina alongside participants from New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois, Vermont, New York and Tennessee. Additionally, a group photo show, Appalachian Light, A Study in Contrast will be on display in the MCAC mezzanine gallery.
“Although my work is rooted in traditional handweaving, I’ve become increasingly interested in weaving as a way of thinking rather than simply a technique,” says Jensen. “I’m interested in how textiles can hold evidence of time, care and human touch, reminding us that repair and imperfection are not flaws but essential parts of living.”
The opening reception will take place August 14, from 5–8 p.m. In addition to the first-floor galleries, special installations on the building’s third floor will be available during opening night only. Artist talks and additional public programming are planned throughout the exhibition.
Among the participating artists is Sawkille Co., a New York-based design studio whose contribution incorporates woodworking alongside metals that naturally develop patinas over time.
“Sawkille’s work is building on hundreds of years of Shaker style woodworking, but is also deeply inspired by our modern world’s symbols, icons and stories,” says Kenny Thomas of Sawkille Co. “In order to continue to grow, any traditional technique must change over time, and that is what we aim to do.”
For the exhibition, the studio is contributing a chandelier made with wood and patinated copper, silver and brass.
Ropes. Kayla Powers, artist
“I find any soft metal that develops a patina over time to be extremely inspiring,” Thomas says. “The way these materials oxidize and change over time reflects the ordered chaos and ever-changing nature of our natural world.”
Artist Kayla Powers creates fiber work that draws from some of humanity’s earliest textile technologies. Her piece, Ropes, a piece that combines cotton, linen, silk and wool with natural dyes while incorporating handwoven, painted, sewn and stuffed elements.
“This work is an exploration of some of the first ways humans shaped the world through making,” she says. “The process of making rope historically included twisting, spinning, braiding, knotting—expressions of somatic knowledge. It would have been made from plants or animal sinew or hair and created something longer, stronger and more functional than its parts.”
Other participating artists include Elysabeth Cianci, Kimberly English, Angela Eastman, Miranda Heidler, Holly Wilder, Eleanor Annand, Juli Leonard, Christine Novotny, Ann Coddington, Kyle Cottier and Hannah O’Hare Bennett.
“This exhibition brings together artists who may not identify as weavers but whose work shares those same ideas through structure, accumulation, surface, rhythm and the act of making,” says Jensen.
Madison County Arts Council is located at 90 South Main Street, Marshall. Learn more at MadisonCountyArts.com.
