With Every Fiber

Press Release

With Every Fiber  6 febbraio-3 aprile 2021
Pelham Art Center – 155 Fifth Avenue Pelham, NY 10803

Brooklyn-based curator Anki King presents the work of artists Joy Curtis, Ruby Chishti, Victoria Udondian, Jessica Lagunas, Liz Whitney Quisgard, Mary Ann Lomonaco, and Mary Tooley Parker who all use fiber to create deeply personal works of art.
The artists selected by curator Anki King for this exhibition all manipulate fiber to communicate emotion and meaning beyond the literal context of the materials. Clothing becomes mountains, embroidery is made rugged and dramatic and color patterns move across large walls. For them, the lifeline is the creative process itself. The need to express and create is primal and fiber is one of the original expressive materials.
Many of the artists in this exhibit are exploring issues around feminism. After seeing the quilts of the women of Gee’s Bend, Mary Tooley Parker decided to focus on the creators themselves and started a series of colorful rug hook works with portraits of the women who created the famous quilts. Jessica Lagunas has used her own hair in her creative practice for many years. Her work is a reaction to how society views aging and beauty and the expectations this puts on women. As her hair started turning gray at 33, Lagunas began sewing and weaving with her silvery strands and in this exhibit, you will see delicate pin weavings created with silk and hair. Mary Ann Lomonaco creates work reminiscent of tribal headgear made of beautifully dyed, intricately beaded and decorated mops. Joy Curtis has traveled widely to gather her knowledge of fiber and dyes. She creates sculptural works by using metal armatures to create intense works on a human scale that speak of bodily experience. Liz Whitney Quisgard was an abstract painter for many years. About 15 years ago her daughter asked her to draw a design for rugs she was making. Quisgard picked up needle and yarn for a quick try at her daughter’s craft and never stopped. Her abstract patterns are meant to surprise and engage the mind.
Ruby Chishti and Victoria Undondian both explore the intricate meanings of identity. Ruby grew up in Pakistan and by sewing she was able to create for herself clothing and toys that were otherwise not within reach. Fabric has since become a way of being and expressing. The importance of clothing for a sense of place and home is also part of Undondian’s work. Being from Nigeria she saw how the influx of clothing from the west affected her surroundings and cultural history.

Press release
List of works
With Every Fiber Pelham Art Center

Virtual Studio Visits Join Pelham Art Center for virtual studio visits with the artists and curator of With Every Fiber. These Zoom events are $10 to attend and directly benefit the artists and Pelham Art Center.

Thursday, February 18 – Mary Ann Lomonaco

Thursday, February 25 – Joy Curtis

Thursday, March 11 – Ruby Chishti

Thursday, March 25 – Mary Tooley Parker

Thursday, April 8 – Jessica Lagunas

All the images are taken from the Pelham Art Cenetr web site 

Pelham Art Center is a non-profit educational and cultural institution committed to providing public access to see, study and experience the arts, foster lifelong arts appreciation and thereby strengthen the community. The Art Center was founded in 1970 and now serves more than 16,000 people each year. These events and programs are made possible, in part, by the ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County Government. Pelham Art Center also receives funding from: New York State Council on the Arts, A State Agency; Westchester Community Foundation; Pelham Community Members and Annual Fund Donors.