The Crossman Gallery held its reception for the gallery currently on display entitled “Fiber Connections” Wednesday, Sept. 18. The collection showcases a diverse range of techniques from a grand assortment of artists.
Fiber arts have had an important place in cultures around the world in unique ways. Two of the pieces on display are traditional Paj Ntaub, or in English, Story Clothes. These large colorful tapestries are beautifully detailed with images and text traditionally made by Hmong women. Though not all pieces are Paj Ntaub, each of the pieces in this exhibition are similar in one aspect, they tell an unique story of the artist and their heritage. Pieces displayed range from hundreds of years old to more contemporary pieces, some made this year.
As a textile artist herself, the gallery’s director Ashley Dimmig has a special connection to the exhibit. One of Dimmig’s works is displayed. Also displayed are two pieces from the gallery’s namesake Catherine Crossman who was also a textile and fiber artist.
One of the pieces on display is from a contemporary artist named Agnes Yellow Bear. She is a Indigenous textile artist, advocate, and speaker. She specializes in creating custom traditional ribbon skirts. Using the ribbon skirts she translates personal stories from her own life as well as others affected by Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR).
Agnes’s goal in creating her art is about “carrying all of this [hardship] and turning it into something that shows our beauty, our resilience, and our love.” She chooses to work with bright colors and patterns in a way that tells the stories in a positive and wearable way.
Another artist whose work is on display is Rosy Petri. She is a contemporary black artist who fuses multimedia techniques into her work. Petri combines the use of fabric, printmaking, and photography into creating fabric portraits. Originally from Milwaukee, Petri says her work is all about “self-discovery, history, and radically black joy.”
Contemporary artists have been transforming the art form. Artists like Yellow Bear and Petri are great examples of artists who have been using textile art as a way to reconnect with their heritage. They combine the more traditional aspects of fiber arts and more experimental techniques and the result tells a beautiful story.
The Crossman Gallery is located inside of the Greenhill Center of the Arts at 950 W. Main St. The Fiber Connections exhibition will be on display until Sept. 26.
