Fantastic Fibers 2011 Exhibit Photos

Fantastic Fibers:
An International Juried Art Exhibition

at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah, KY
April 2-30, 2011

(photo by Michael Crouse, courtesy of Yeiser Art Center)

(photo by Michael Crouse, courtesy of Yeiser Art Center)

(photo by Michael Crouse, courtesy of Yeiser Art Center)

my piece in the show:

Surrender, Courage, Desperation, and Vulnerability

Surrender

but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned,all she had to live on

Courage

she came up behind Him and touched the fringe of his garment

Desperation

“woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “no one”

Vulnerability

she knelt behind him, weeping, with her tears falling on his feet,

wiping them with her hair

A common thread ties women throughout history together and this cohesion has been the source of my inspiration. In a world where so many things are relative and society focuses on individualism, I like to see how broader histories can still speak about present conditions. I am currently focusing on women from the Bible in my paintings by focusing on one moment of their story and examining how I can relate to it. People today deal with the same issues of abandonment, guilt, doubt, or insecurity and can look to historical figures that lead captivating lives for guidance.

The quilt pieces together four women of faith from the New Testament whose stories were recorded without their names. They each had an encounter with Christ that left an impression in history about how women were to be treated with significance. Each of them had been condemned by society because of their poverty, disease, gender or promiscuity, but He accepted them by caring for their personal needs and offering their hurting hearts grace and healing. He stood up for a hopeless woman and reminded us to show compassion and give others a second chance. In a time when women were restricted by a patriarchal society, Jesus singled them out and used them as examples for the way we should live—the willingness to give to others even when we feel empty, the boldness to reach out of our isolation when we know we need help, and that it is okay to be vulnerable when we need to spill out everything we have been holding inside. They embody beauty in their surrender, courage, desperation, and vulnerability.