From Fiber to Hand

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Hannah O’Hare Bennett

"Strata," fiber works by Hannah O’Hare Bennett.

"Strata," fiber works by Hannah O’Hare Bennett.

The new Textile Arts Center features "From Fiber to Hand," curated by UW-Madison papermaker Veronica Pham. The exhibit explores fiber in many different forms, including weaving, sewn objects, paper, basketry and even netting. Featured are UW students and recent alumni Esther Cho, Kate Forer, Heather Kohlmeier, Kate Morrick, Sam Northcut, Hannah O’Hare Bennett, Veronica Pham, Maia Rauh, Noa Rickey, Ava Schueller, Annmarie Suglio and Edward Xiong. The TAC is at 2436 Pennsylvania Ave. and will be open Friday, May 3, from 5-9 p.m. during Madison’s citywide Gallery Night; regular hours are from noon-4 p.m. Thursdays and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays, through June 13.

media release: The Textile Arts Center of Madison (TAC) is pleased to announce the opening of the exhibition, FROM FIBER TO HAND. The exhibition will be on view at TAC’s facility at 2436 Pennsylvania Avenue in Madison from May 2 through June 13, 2024.

TAC will celebrate the opening of FROM FIBER TO HAND with a reception on Friday, May 3 from 5-9pm during Madison’s citywide Gallery Night. This event is free and open to the public.

TAC’s public hours for viewing the exhibition will be Thursdays from noon-4pm and Saturdays from 10am-2pm, May 2 through June 13, 2024.

FROM FIBER TO HAND, curated by Veronica Pham, showcases the unique collaboration of fiber, textile, and paper works through a material framework. Featuring pieces from current students and recent MFA (Masters of Fine Art) alumni at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this exhibition explores how fibers take on many forms in the hands of different visual artists who translate their own unique stories through weaving, sewn objects, paper, basketry, and netting. Viewed together, the works on view open a conversation about the memories and stories deeply embedded in the fibers and the techniques each artist employs.

FROM FIBER TO HAND features work by the following artists: Esther Cho, Kate Forer, Heather Kohlmeier, Kate Morrick, Sam Northcut, Hannah O’Hare Bennett, Veronica Pham, Maia Rauh, Noa Rickey, Ava Schueller, Annmarie Suglio, Edward Xiong

“I am thrilled to partner with my colleagues in the field of fiber arts to bring together a first-time collaborative exhibition between the Textile Arts Center of Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” says curator Veronica Pham. “I hope this exhibition showcases the exciting and powerful work of fiber artists in our community. Working with fiber is a way to connect the use of materials to its history while simultaneously sharing stories about our contemporary community, culture, and identities. The artists in FROM FIBER TO HAND have each labored over and manipulated the fibers they use in playful self-interpretation of their stories and memories.”

Artist Annmarie Sugilio’s practice illustrates how artists are bringing historical fiber art traditions, as well as personal histories and memories, forward into their contemporary practice: “I gravitated towards weaving so naturally in 2013 when I was studying Fibers in undergrad at the Cleveland Institute of Art. The soft materials, the many colors and patterns to choose from, and the warmth of the cedar wood that makes up a loom and its other tools lured me in. I felt so connected to this medium’s process right away with how it asks for my whole body to be in motion. Soon after I graduated from undergrad, I learned my grandfather was a textile salesman in Italy and met my grandmother through a textile transaction. Textiles are an important marker of identity for Italian women through methods of weaving, embroidery, sewing, and lacemaking. Now as a weaver for over a decade, I add my art to the lineage and communicate to my ancestors through fiber.”

About the Textile Arts Center of Madison

The Textile Arts Center of Madison (TAC) is a hub for the fiber arts community, offering classes and workshops, exhibitions and events, and access to supplies for makers and enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. The nonprofit organization was founded in 2023 with a vision for a community in which creative expression through textile and fiber arts is celebrated, supported, and accessible to all. Through its programming, TAC celebrates the rich traditions and cultures of fiber craft, and the diversity of fiber art makers, and the value and benefit of making by hand. Visit textileartsmadison.org to learn more.