The Dairy Barn Arts Center’s O’Bleness Gallery 8000 Dairy Lane Athens, OH 45701 July 5 – September 1, 2024

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Echoes is an exhibition of fiber art by artist Rena Wood and was held in conjunction with our Member and Student Show, Interplay. Employing vintage textiles and hand embroidery, Wood creates artwork that honors textile histories and past makers. “The time I spend working is marked by each stitch, each knot, and each repetitive act of my hands. The result of my slow and repetitious hand work connects my process to the biological phenomena occurring all the time, gradually growing, multiplying, or deteriorating. I am intrigued by ideas about the visual aspects of how memories might appear in our brain and the changes that occur over time and as memories are lost.” Over the course of years, each piece has been made, added-to, and re-created to investigate the essential role that memory plays in life. ‘Echoes’ relates to the textiles and patterns, reminding us of people and places that we may have forgotten. It refers to the reimagining of the handwork process, over and over again, to try and find meaning through obsessive making.

JURORS

Caroline Kipp (she/they) is a curator, artist, art historian, and the former Curator of Contemporary Art at the GW Textile Museum in Washington, DC. Kipp holds a BFA in Fibers from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, an ALM in Museum Studies from Harvard University, and is currently a PhD student in Art History at the University of Maryland, College Park. She serves on the boards of the Textile Society of America (TSA) and the James Renwick Alliance for Craft (JRA).

Keri Ann Wolfe (she/her) is the Director of Exhibitions at The Dairy Barn Arts Center located in Athens, Ohio. Keri is responsible for managing The Dairy Barn’s four gallery spaces and leads the organization, jurying, installation, and touring of the renowned biennial Quilt National Exhibition, which showcases contemporary quilts from around the world. Prior to her role at the Dairy Barn, Keri gained valuable experience working at the Hatton and Curfman Galleries at Colorado State University. Keri also spent three years at Mid-South Ceramics in Nashville, TN, where she managed professional ceramicists’ studios and taught community ceramics and stained glass classes. Keri earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Rio Grande in 2018.

GALLERY