Afterlives: Material Stories from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection

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im Escalante/courtesy Center for Design& Material Culture

Staff and students prepare materials for the "Afterlives" exhibition.

Staff and students prepare materials for the "Afterlives" exhibition.

media release: February 5, 2025 - May 11, 2025

On Wednesday, February 5, the Center for Design & Material Culture will be opening its first spring semester exhibition, Afterlives: Material Stories from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, an exploration into the many lives of objects and what happens to textiles after they enter the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

“Every object in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection brings its life story with it,” explains curator Dr. Sarah Anne Carter, executive director of the CDMC and associate professor in Design Studies who curated the exhibition. “Someone made it, treasured it, saved it, threw it away, put it in a box, found it, noticed it, used it, or nearly used it up! These material stories offer windows onto people, places, and experiences, both close to home and far away. From a child’s feed sack dress lovingly crafted and then saved on a family farm to an intricate robe from Turkmenistan that traveled halfway around the world, material things carry traces of people and things through the past, present, and — especially in the hands of our students — future.” 

Support for this exhibition comes from the Anonymous Fund.

Events:

Thursday, February 13, 2025, 5-7 pm – Afterlives Opening Reception

Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 2:15 pm – Public Tour: Join curator Dr. Sarah Anne Carter for a tour of Afterlives. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and explore the materials and methods in the exhibit. Space is limited. Please sign up so we know you are coming!

Thursday, February 27, 2025, noon – Textiles x Insects Panel Conversation and Lunch: with Jennifer Angus, professor of design studies; Carolyn H. Jenkinson, collections manager, Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection; Daniel K. Young, professor of entomology and director, UW Insect Research Collection (WIRC)