All Exhibitions

Sew What?

On view: –
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Exhibiting Artists

Louise Bourgeois, Adrian Esparza, Eliza Kentridge, Larissa Mellor, Timothy Paul Myers, Sheila Pepe, Robb Putnam, Alicia Scardetta, Susan Beallor-Snyder, Nathan Vincent

Click here for more photos of the Sew What? exhibition.

Children’s Museum of the Arts is pleased to announce Sew What? on view in the Cynthia C. Wainwright Gallery. This exhibition takes textile arts as its starting point and includes contemporary artists whose work transforms the material of fiber. Sew What? revels in the diversity of textiles, and how these materials are transformed through various techniques by contemporary artists.

The word textile, from Latin texere, means to weave, to braid, to construct. Most textile arts begin with twisting or spinning and plying fiber to make yarn (called thread when it is very fine and rope when it is very heavy). The yarn is then knotted, looped, braided or woven to make flexible fabric or cloth, and cloth can be used to make clothing and soft objects. Techniques of dyeing, printing, embroidery, needlework, knitting, quilting and sewing all are a part of textile arts.

Often connecting significant personal and cultural narratives, the artists in Sew What? move across temporal and spatial boundaries, connecting old and new ideas, just as they provide important links between people, places and ways of life. Bringing together a diverse range of contemporary works, Sew What? celebrates the ways in which contemporary artists explore and extend the textile and fiber medium.

This exhibition is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Also on view

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    In the Pepperman Family Fine Arts Studio INTERACTIVE WEAVING WALL

    In conjunction with the gallery exhibition Sew What?, museum visitors can collaborate to design original weavings on the Pepperman Family Fine Art Studio’s interactive weaving wall. Each guest will enjoy the feel of yarn through their hands, the meditative quality of repetition, and the triumphs of color and texture as they participate in an impromptu weaving!

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    In the Front Window NEW LIFE FOR OLD THINGS

    View specialty objects and garments made by Cecilia Margarita de Corral in the CMA front window! De Corral strives to use traditional hand work techniques such as quilting, weaving, and embroidery in the hopes of fostering a curiosity as to how objects are made. Each item is absolutely unique. De Corral uses primarily re-purposed textiles, which give new lives to fabrics with long histories. All items are pieced together, quilted, hemmed, and finished by hand with an infinite amount of care and time.

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    In the Bridge Space THE BRIDGE PROJECT: WHAT IS BY JEILA GUERAMIAN

    For this newly commissioned installation, Gueramian uses stitch work, crochet, knit and various embellishments to create an all-encompassing installation that spans the entire bridgespace at CMA. Gueramian transforms the bridge into an interactive textile and light adventure creating a magical experience for adults and children alike. The installation can be appreciated for its incredible craftsmanship, its ability to transform the space, and its power to make the most seasoned art viewer delight with wonder.

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