Exhibiting artists.
Lydia Alegria White – Leslie Amick – Michelle Bedrosian – Laura Ann Beehler – Lyn Belisle – Elaine Bornemeier – Moriah Butler – Marilyn Camp-Jones – Nancy Campbell – Alex Chapple – Sherry Christensen – Ilna Colemere – BJ Cummings – Beth Cunningham – Rachael Duke – Margaret Fitch – Janis Hooker – Mary James – Nena King – Susan Lanford – Claudia Langford – Kristine Luber – Oliver Martin – Kate Martin & Dian Lamb – Shirley Moehring – Susie Monday – Sarah Mosher – Trish Nicholson – Kim Paxson – Elizabeth Pekins – Jenny Rask – Cajah Reed – Teresa Reynolds – Debora Rosental – Ivan Sartor
Patsy Sasek – Rebecca Switzer – Alicia Tapp – Patricia Van Dorin – Byrdy Wagner – Jeri Warner – Shannon Weber – Vesna Zrinski
SARAH MOSHER
I was interested in the cycle of decay and regeneration that is built into the life of both plants and animals. This woven piece, tied into a möbius strip is made with hand-spun hemp fibers and local wool dyed with wild bluebonnets. The contrast between the expected color and the resulting green reminds the viewer to pay attention to the process of generation allowing the materials to inform the end result. Unrefined hemp fibers are woven throughout the piece serving as a reminder of the next stage of this material.
Title: Enfolding the Knot
Description: The disruption that trauma can have on our natural physiological systems has parallels with the ways in which human intervention has caused disruption to environmental systems, and in both cases, the healing process cannot hope to eliminate the trauma, but rather enfold it and make use of it, acknowledging and softening the hard edges.
Dimensions: 24in x 80in
Material: Cotton, Wool, Starch-based bioplastic
Year: 2021, updated 2023
Title: Rocks in her Pockets
Description: This garment was made for the grandmother character in ‘I am an Island’, an ecofeminist play by Julia Lederer. Grandma leaves the sinking island they all live on with rocks in her pockets and is only seen as she comes back to haunt her granddaughter. Bioplastics indicate the sea sticking to her as she walks with fish swimming in and out.
Dimensions: 30in x 48in
Material: Silk, Gelatin based bioplastics, tea
Year: 2024
IVAN SARTOR
Inspired by Incas quipus, this work uses recycled, fabrics, cords, fibers, polyester, and burlap. Wrapping, burning, and knotting techniques form a gradient of decay, symbolizing the fragility of memory and the transformation of materials over time.
This piece explores the themes of memory and erosion. The layered, rolled forms reference ancient storytelling methods like quipu, symbolizing the preservation of narratives under duress. The gradual darkening evokes the inevitable transformation of information and history, either through natural decay or external suppression. The use of mixed materials emphasizes the fragility and resilience of cultural memory.
Title: Quipus-II
Description: Inspired by the ancient Incas quipus, this work reinterprets their function as memory-keeping devices. Each knot and charred roll of fabric symbolizes moments and fragmented histories. Recycled fibers represent the sustainability of memory, while polyester cords contrast with the organic decay of burlap, evoking a dialogue between permanence and ephemerality .
Dimensions: 31in X 53in X 1in
Material: recycled newspapers, fibers, fabrics polyester cord, and burlap
RACHAEL DUKE
Using repurposed items, fabric, and paint to address pressing social issues focusing on areas of struggle for women, specifically women’s health with a pelvic floor trampoline and the stark contrast between progress in women’s equality and the struggles faced by immigrants with the shoes.
Title: You Try Bouncing Back
Description: This pelvic floor trampoline, crafted from a repurposed child’s toy and quilted sweatshirt material, airbrushed with fabric paint, speaks to the resilience and often overlooked struggles of women. The quilted fabric mirrors the pelvic floor muscles, a vital support system for the body’s organs. Each muscle layer is stuffed and quilted, stretched and twisted across the frame.
Dimensions: 3ft diameter 9in depth
Material: Aluminum, steel, and rubber frame with quilted and painted fabric
Year: 2022
Title: One Step Forward
Description: Transformed discarded high heels, layering them with stitched fabric and paint to symbolize the historic achievement of the first woman Vice President, and hopeful President. Conversely, I utilized stitching and fabric markers to depict the plight of refugees, often women and girls, seeking asylum at the southern border.
Dimensions: 12in x 12in x 12in
Material: Found objects, fabric, grommets, paint, marker
Year: 2024
SUSIE MONDAY
My fabric collages are inspired by my love of color, texture and rhythm. I take the viewer along on personal journeys that celebrate the Borderlands and my journey as an artist. I use recycled materials in all of my work. Vintage textiles, too
Chakra Queen celebrates the spiritual aspect of Circularity, as well as its depiction of energy centers of the human body. This piece uses bark cloth from old curtains, fabric from thrift store garments and scraps left from other work. The background fabric is the only new cloth in this piece.
Title: Chakra Queen
Description: Stitched textile collage using recycled and vintage materials
Dimensions: 32in x 67in x 1in
Material: Stitched textile collage using recycled and vintage materials, felt balls
Year: 2024
Title: She Who Brings Fire
Description: This art quilt is inspired by Mexican fabrics and stories about Aztec goddesses.
Dimensions: 72in x 42in
Material: Vintage serapes, Mexican and Guatemalan embroidery, batting, screen printed silk, polyester
Year: 2024
MORIAH BUTLER
Each weaving was created entirely of recycled or thrifted supplies. Some yarns were dyed with recycled dyes (like coffee) to make the correct color. Extra elements like needle felting or applique were added.
A soil horizon is defined as a layer of soil. The arrangement of layers is called a soil profile. Soil scientists will study these soil profiles for a deeper look into our history and a better understanding of future decisions.
Title: Soil Horizon
Description: Soil Horizon is a wall tapestry depicting the soil beneath our feet. Natural fibers and repurposed items were woven to create the different layers and elements of soil.
Dimensions: 45inches x16inches
Material: Yarn, raffia, wool roving, beads, fabrics, plastic
Year: 2024
Title: Soil Horizon with Animal Burrow
Description: The human addition of plastics to our soil impacts us and the animals that use the soil for shelter or food. This animal depicted in the tapestry has used plastic pollution for bedding, which does not offer the same warmth as natural materials. Avoid single-use plastics and choose reusable materials at home.
Dimensions: 30inches x 14 inches
Material: Yarn, wool roving, fabric, beads, ribbon, plastic
Year: 2024
Description: Plastics take hundreds of thousands of years to decompose and will remain in our soils forever. Plastics can negatively impact the soil quality and the plants that need to grow. These impacts will be felt in greater cycles such as photosynthesis, food chains, and water movement.
Dimensions: 30inches x 16inches
Material: yarn, wool roving, ribbon, beads, fabrics, plastic
Year: 2024
LAURA ANN BEEHLER
I use recycled and/or hand dyed fabrics, found objects or materials to begin my pieces. Depending on what a piece says to me, I might enhance it with paints, inks, threads and stitching.
Each piece of my work combines a variety of textures and materials, fabrics, papers, metal, and wood. I usually begin with a fragment of cloth, paper or wood, I then layer or build on that piece until I find a combination that pleases me.using warm, earthy colors through the pieces help me provide harmony and a peaceful feeling. I may chose to enhance a work with paint, inks or stitching. Normally my work is organic and more abstract than realistic.
Title: Megrims
Description: I was in a state of distress when I started this piece. I believe that the completed piece shows the depressed mood I was in. The chaotic and frantic feelings I was experiencing show through in the red stitching, very tight together yet being pulled in many directions. The choose of the darker grays and blacks reflected the depressive state my mind was in. This piece was very cathartic.
Dimensions: 18 inches x 10 inches x 1.5 inches
Material: Eco distressed sheet, dress remnants, cheesecloth, thread, inks
Year: June 2023
Title: Circling
Description: I used reclaimed rusted, hand dyed and eco printed fabrics along with found rusted pieces and stitch to develop this piece. The juxtaposition of the warm soft fabrics to the cold harsh metals spoke to me of the warmth verses the coldness of our society. I didn’t start with a specific idea but as the piece developed “my” meaning appeared to me.
Dimensions: 30 inches x 22 inches x 1 inch
Material: Various fabric remnants, rusty bits, threads hung from a worm eaten clock case part
Year: September 2024
Title: Flight
Description: The “trash” I found to collage this piece shows that beauty can be found in the ugliest of situations. There is no deep meaning in this work, I loved being able to take thrown out materials to compose this piece. Trash to Treasure
Dimensions: 28 inches x 29 inches x .5 inches
Material: Fabric remnants, ac filter, card board, burlap, rusty, nails, paint mounted on reclaimed siding.
Year: August 2024
CAJAH REED
Bobbin lace made from nineteen King Soopers “Pickup” plastic grocery bags, cut into 1-inch strips. The design features spiders, rose ground, honeycomb, and torchon ground stitches. The sizable lace measures 56.5 by 24 inches and is mounted on a wooden rod.
Boldly printed on grocery totes was the message, “Please reuse this bag as many as 125 times.” Taking this suggestion to heart, I repurposed the plastic bags to make extra-large lace. To weave bobbin lace, people traditionally use spool-like sticks called bobbins to organize crossed and twisted threads. By reimagining this art form with plastic, I invite viewers to explore the unexpected transformation of everyday materials into intricate eco-conscious art.
Title: 1/125 Possibilities
Description: Made from nineteen King Soopers ‘Pickup’ grocery bags, this roughly 5-by-2 foot piece reimagines traditional lace using unconventional materials. The white bags, printed with blue text, were cut into strips and woven using bobbin lace techniques, changing disposable plastic into large-scale textile art.
Dimensions: 56.5 X 28 inches (including wood rod)
Material: Plastic Grocery bags
Year: 2024
JERI WARNER
Artistic garments, one vestment and one dress, incorporating decomposed fabric and stitch.
These 2 artistic garments show that sustainability requires decomposition. Jeri literally places fabric into the dirt to let nature change its form, to freshly create new images that reveal the cycle of decay and renewal. From the moment of our birth, we are wrapped in textiles and throughout history, it has been used to express the deepest needs of life. The textile industry is #3 in the contributor to global warming. Different matters decompose differently, allowing only natural materials to break down.
Title: Nature and Polyester
Description: Two shirts were placed in the soil at the same time, one made of silk and one made of polyester. After time passed, both shirts were removed at the same time, resulting in silk that had decomposed and polyester that washed clean. A dress was created to show the fragility of natural fibers that can break down in contrast to the long lasting polyester. The silk shirt was handstitched.
Dimensions: Dress that can be hung.
Material: silk, polyester, stitching
Year: 2024
Title: Marking the Dust and the Void
Description: The vestment based on the Christian chasuble marks both our human knowledge and the void of our understanding. Dust connects us to the holy. The back of the chasuble includes fabric that was decomposed in the dirt, dyed with walnut dyes, embellished with stitch. The front connects to the feminine. It uses my grandmother?s quilts with handmade lace. Fabric is from reconstructed pieces.
Dimensions: 54in x 48in
Material: decomposed fabric, deconstructed clothes, stitch
Year: 2024
LESLIE AMICK
3d wool needle felted sculptures of animals: one naturalistic; one anthropometric. Wire armatures support the structures. Various details are created in other fiber forms and materials.
I love creating needle felted wool animals. Every one of the sculptures evolves as I work to reveal the personality of the piece. The fox evokes a sense of wisdom and invites the viewer to smile while he knows all the while that he is not to be trusted. The mice are an important part of their ecosystem. Too often dismissed as pests, these charming animals show us they serve as a necessary step in their wild world.
Title: Sage Grey Fox
Description: A needle felted anthropomorphic sculpture illustrating the grey fox with a lifetime of experience and wiliness. So good looking, but a little bit dangerous. He is dressed in a sage’s garb complete with woven back toted basket and walking stick
Dimensions: 8in x 10in
Material: wool,silk,velvet,floss,leather,glass eyes,wire,hemlock,cotton,chicken feathers
Year: 2024
Title: Hide and Seek
Description: Harvest mice love tulip pollen. One mouse inside the flower eating pollen while a second mouse is on the stem looking to join the first.
Dimensions: 12in x 12in
Material: wool,driftwood,wire,glass eyes
Year: 2024
PATRICIA VAN DORIN
A tiny embellished basket to hold a small handmade book using fabric scraps, found materials such as fragments of paper and beads repurposed from an earring found on the sidewalk. Fabric wrapped beads adorn the rim of this basket. Tiny book is hand bound.
Tiny books in Vessels #6
Mixed Media made with hand printed fabric scraps, found pieces of paper to include junk mail and old documents, glue, waxed linen thread, pieces of recycled Kantha fabric, cardboard, and beads from a broken necklace
2024
SUSAN LANFORD
Fiber Art plays a vital role in our lives. Just as paint transforms interiors, fibers elevate our environments, yet many overlook the beauty of creating with thread. I hope more people pause to appreciate how fibers and textiles enrich our daily experiences.
Water connects us. We find joy in the beauty of clear ocean water, yet research reveals that our oceans are far from pure. Every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic waste enters our seas, much of it from single-use items. As plastic degrades, it fragments and circulates globally, threatening marine life + ecosystems—and ultimately, us. I hope to raise awareness about rethinking our convenient habits in favor of a more sustainable, circular approach. Together, we can protect our oceans and the life they sustain.
Title: Deep Dive
Description: Mixed media collage on an old canvas. Velcro, adhesive + stitching secures items retrieved from recycling bins and beach strolls. Discontinued upholstery samples, remnants, buttons, brush + starfish are from my studio and are secured on a re-purposed dress.
Dimensions: 18.5in X 5in X 26.5in
Material: textile remnants, plastic + aluminum caps, plastic utensils, metal lid, seaweed, mussel shell
Year: 2024
Title: Fiber Drip
Description: This 3D Assemblage is made from salvaged and repurposed pieces that were given to me or picked up from my studio. An empty paint can was diverted from the landfill and filled with an upholstery spring w/ misc. pieces of yarn and fibers secured around it.
Dimensions: 10: X 10in X 44in
Material: Metal can + spring, misc. cotton, wool, and synthetic fibers and remnants
Year: 2024
KIM PAXSON
I work with discarded clothes and other fabrics. I make wool felt. Textiles are an ideal medium to share with the viewer questions about how we as a society navigate a changing environment.
The boundary between landscapes and portraits has been erased in the Anthropocene era. Plastic waste reduced to tiny particles can be found in the ground, water, and air – and in every part of the human body. Just think, every part of our world and every part of our lives has been touched by plastic waste. What do we do about plastic pollution and environmental degradation going forward? Do we ignore it? Seek distraction? Or use our creativity, imagination, and adaptability to shape a positive future?
Title: Look Here. Not There.
Description: A portrait of distraction made from discarded fabric, used clothes, and a broken set of sunglasses. All made from petroleum. All non-biodegradable. Hand-stitched.
Dimensions: 70in x 35in
Material: Mixed Media, Mostly Petroleum Based.
Year: 2024
Title: King Kong Shops Locally
Description: A portrait made with contrasting materials. Natural materials (artist-made wool felt and tripod legs made of wood and metal) are combined with an assortment of non-biodegradable plastic food packaging materials.
Dimensions: 21in x 14in
Material: Mixed media with artist-made wool felt
Year: 2022
Title: My Cup of Joy
Description: A portrait/landscape combo made with contrasting materials. Artist-made wool felt combined with an assortment of non-biodegradable plastic food packaging materials and vinyl gloves. Flames are hand embroidered with pearl cotton thread.
Dimensions: 38in x 16in
Material: Mixed media with artist-made wool felt
Year: 2022
SHIRLEY MOEHRING
Wall hanging depicting Spanish dancer, all made with recycled and repurposed materials. Techniques include dyeing, decoupage, painting, stitching, and stamping.
A collection of vintage and thrift store lace textiles has been given another life. Tablecloths and doilies have been taken out of the attic and turned into a dancer’s dress of vibrant colors. This a way to repurpose items that would otherwise spend their days in an attic or eventually a landfill. Everything on this piece was repurposed from materials rescued from storage boxes or from the trash.
Title: Mariposa
Description: Wall hanging depicting a dancer wearing a colorful skirt with butterflies all around her.
Dimensions: 37 inches wide by 49.5 inches tall
Material: Used canvas drop cloth, tissue paper, lace textiles, fabric, silk sari remnants, costume jewelry
Year: 2024
REBECCA SWITZER
Diagonal plaited painted paper, rolled paper, dried fruit, art yarn, assortment of wooden beads and vintage buttons.
The use of a poppets to give comfort and hope has been handed down thru the ages.
Title: Vamanos
Description: Vessel poppet to hold ideas about future travels.
Dimensions: 16in high x 5in wide x 3in wide
Material: diagonal plaited weaving using vintage maps and painted papers, paper rolls, assorted beads and
Year: 2024
Title: La Naranja
Description: and poppet, to be use for comfort and hope
Dimensions: 15intall x 6in wide x 4indeep
Material: painted paper, assortment wooden beads and vintage buttons plus art yarn.
Year: 2024
Title: Guadalupe
Description: Devotional piece, paper pulp pressed into a sugar mold. Mold is then attached to a twinned basket that has been dipped in paper pulp. Decorations include small roses and fringed trim.
Dimensions: 17in tall x 7in wide x 3in deep
Material: paper pulp, basket reed,shell fringed trim and roses.
Year: 2024
JENNY RASK
These sculptures/paintings are made with my children’s clothing that I have saved for over 20 years(all 3 are teens to adults now). Each clothing article is intentionally arranged and composed like a painting bound to a cardboard box that stored them.
This series is called ‘Family Clothing Paintings.’ I had collected and kept most of my children’s clothes as they grew older. I had been saving them for over 20 years. Each clothing item is taken from a different period of their lives (2 are adults and 1 is a teen) As a way to hold onto memory and consider my own impermanence.
Title: Family Clothing Painting I
Description: These sculptures/paintings are made with my children’s clothing that I have saved for over 20 years(all 3 are teens to adults now). Each clothing article is intentionally arranged and composed like a painting bound to a cardboard box that stored them.
Dimensions: 42 x 36in
Material: Cotton, Polyester, Wool, Elastic, Denim, Jersey, Cardboard, PVA Glue
Year: 2024
Title: Family Clothing Painting II
Description: These sculptures/paintings are made with my children’s clothing that I have saved for over 20 years(all 3 are teens to adults now). Each clothing article is intentionally arranged and composed like a painting bound to a cardboard box that stored them.
Dimensions: 12 x 21in
Material: Cotton, Polyester, Lycra, Elastic, Denim, Jersey, Cardboard, Thread, PVA Glue
Year: 2024
Title: Family Clothing Painting III
Description: These sculptures/paintings are made with my children’s clothing that I have saved for over 20 years(all 3 are teens to adults now). Each clothing article is intentionally arranged and composed like a painting bound to a cardboard box that stored them.
Dimensions: 16 x 14in
Material: Cotton, Polyester, Lycra, Jersey, Cardboard, PVA Glue, Thread
Year: 2024
SHERRY CHRISTENSEN
Pieces use old encyclopedia pages, cardboard forms under scrap handmade papers, beads from my deceased mother’s jewelry, and yarns from old FASA yarn pulls created for a fundraiser.
My work began as flat 2D paper pieces. Eventually I began adding embellishments…foam core covered shapes ,yarns, beads, and even copper tubes. I have never seen any art comparable to those I create. It is a unique, time consuming, form of expression.
Title: Homage to a Forest Fantasy
Description: Trees are one of our most treasured natural resources. Their fibers are recycled into many paper and other products. This piece, using old encyclopedia pages and other scrap papers I have accumulated is an homage to the tree.
Dimensions: 18×25
Material: Cardboard forms under handmade paper, beads and yarn from old pieces, and acrylic embellishment
Year: 2023
Title: Refurbished and Reimagined
Description: Fifty years ago I led a simple life… recent marriage, no children , a secure job, and a nice affordable home. In 1973 I created a 2D paper art piece entitled “Lemonade with a Twist”. My current piece is that 1973 piece cutup and remade. My life and art has gone from simple to complex over the years… grown childred , larger home, and higher. bills . Life and my art move forward.
Dimensions: 23×27
Material: Cardboard forms covered with handmade paper, book pages, beads and yarn from others pieces
Year: 2024
BJ CUMMINGS
These weavings depict nature landscapes. All are handwoven using natural fibers, and painted with earth pigments. The goal is that no animals, bugs, or planets are harmed in their making. Focus: One Moment – One Thread – One Cloth – One Person – One World.
My artistic process involves blending natural fibers with earth pigments to create unique pieces. At times, my inspiration stems from a vision in my imagination, guiding me to weave a particular cloth picture. On other occasions, as I weave, the threads align themselves to match a vision in my mind, guiding the creation of a cloth picture. Additionally, after weaving a cloth, I may encounter a vision that I then enhance using earth pigments.
Title: Earth, Sea, and Sky
Description: This handwoven cloth depicts layers of earth, sea, and sky. My hope is that we can preserve our earth landscapes for future generations. I use only natural materials in an effort to preserve our earth by living in balance with it. The goal is that no animals, bugs, or planets were harmed in the making of this cloth and that it inspires others to celebrate and protect our environment.
Dimensions: 24in X 36in
Material: linen, tussah silk, earth pigments, indigo, bronze mica
Year: 2024
Title: Layers
Description: This handwoven cloth depicts layers of earth and sky. My hope is that we can preserve our natural earth landscapes for future generations. I use only natural materials in and effort to preserve our earth by existing in balance with it. The goal is that no animals, bugs, or planets were harmed in the making of this cloth and that it inspires others to celebrate and protect our environment.
Dimensions: 26inX40in
Material: Undyed linen, Tussah silk, earth pigments, indigo, bronze mica
Year: 2024
Title: Bronze Night on Earth
Description: These two bronze/blue weavings depict a landscape at night. It’s a time when colors and shadows deepen, and only moon rays glow and light the landscape. This can be a time filled with peace and calm or one filled with fear and dread. My hope for all of us is that this will be a time of peace. I use only natural materials in effort to preserve our earth.
Dimensions: 24inX36in
Material: linen, tussah silk, earth pigments, indigo
Year: 2024
VESNA ZRINSKI
Woven Wall Art: Organic hemp, linen, handspun wool, and humanely sourced silk. All materials in these pieces were donated and are biodegradable.
I am part of a community of fiber artists and weavers. We frequently share materials so they don’t end up in the landfill. This piece was created by using exclusively donated materials. When designing these pieces I was mindful of the limited resources I had on hand.
Title: Sunrise, Sunset
Description: Woven Textile Art
Dimensions: 17in x 68in
Material: Naturally dyed linen
Year: 2023
Title: Desert
Description: Woven Textile Art
Dimensions: 20in X 20in
Material: Donated organic hemp, wool, silk
Year: 2024
ELIZABETH PEKINS
This is an art quilt made with plastics as the ‘batting’ or middle layer. The top layers are painted cheesecloth to allow for transparency. Stitched, couched and painted circles are used as appliques. It is double sided and features hand and machine stitching.
Dissociation can be emotional or physical. We can be disconnected to our environment and the consequences of our lifestyle. The world is busy and fast paced. The emotional and physical damage may not be apparent at first glance. By breathing, slowing down, being aware and taking action we can slowly make changes that will improve our lives and the lives of the world. We are able to heal and know that the efforts we have worked toward are actually making a difference for us and those around us. Healing is possible.
Title: Discocciation
Description: Dissociation can be emotional or physical. We can be disconnected to our environment and the consequences of our lifestyle. The world is busy and fast paced. The emotional and physical damage may not be apparent at first glance. By breathing, slowing down, being aware and taking action we can slowly make changes that will improve our lives and the lives of the world. We are able to heal.
Dimensions: 36in x 56in
Material: plastic bags, cheesecloth, thread, yarn, ribbon, paint, fabirc, ink, interfacing
Year: 2024
TRISH NICHOLSON
‘Interconnected’ is an original art quilt based on a traditional block called ‘Winding Ways.’ I designed the color placement in EQ8 (Electric Quilt version 8) and did the curved piecing and free-motion quilting on my home sewing machine (Bernina 770).
Interconnectedness is the way in which people, nature and objects interact, affecting not only each other, but others in our communities and ecosystems. Such interactions may lead to problems, but they can also lead to solutions. Global issues such as climate change and sustainability put the onus on everyone to seek to build a better world collectively–through interactions based on mutual respect and collaboration.
Title: Interconnected
Description: An original art quilt based on a traditional block called ‘Winding Ways.’ The off-white background pieces were cut from a second-hand king-size pillow sham that I found at a thrift shop. The colorful batiks came from my stash, including many remnants left over from previous projects. The quilt has two layers of batting — one made from recycled plastic bottles, the other from wool.
Dimensions: 32in x 32in
Material: Fabric, threads, and batting were made from cotton, silk, wool and recycled plastic bottles.
Year: 2024
KATE MARTIN AND DIAN LAMB
The blue patchwork pieces are from Carl’s discarded “personal” clothing. The red crochet thread was given to us by my mother who passed 21 years ago. The indigo dyed fabric was made 6 years ago.
Family Jewels incorporates the repurposed, recycled and reimagined characteristics of sustainability. A new wearable garment was created from discarded boxer shorts.
Title: Family Jewels
Description: Blue patchwork cocoon vest
Dimensions: Garment
Material: Cotton and Linen with Red and White Crochet Thread
Year: 2024
NANCY CAMPBELL
Everything that went into creating this piece was sculpted out of found materials. The frame was made out of wood branches and repurpose cheesecloth. The sculpture’s layers were created by hand sewing and a fixative.
Left Behind was sculpted out of endless items discarded for one reason or another. A Hunter’s camouflage shirt left by a tree, the remnants of fabric picked up here and there, combined with found curiosities, and a practice wool vessel made by me a long time ago went into creating a tribute to the environment, bringing new light into what was left behind.
Title: Left Behind
Description: Left Behind was developed out of seeing discarded materials in a different way, and how repurpose materials can add interest to an art piece, piquing curiosity in the viewer and artist.
Dimensions: 17x17in
Material: Wool,silk,mesh,treads,plastic,nylon,upcycle fabrics,found objects
Year: 2024
MARILYN CAMP-JONES
This oversized hand fan is made from men’s silk ties that are embroidered with cotton floss and embellished with sequins, beads, and buttons. Next fan blades are glued to balsa wood panels, then adhered to a deconstructed cardboard box fan box.
My repurposed, recycled, oversized hand fan features a traditional fan shape adorned with a vibrant array of fabric panels, each stitched with intricate patterns and designs. Stones, beads, and buttons add dimension and whimsey to the blades. The fan’s base is a box fan cardboard box, repurposed and transformed into a supporting structure.
Title: Recycle, Repurpose, Recirculate
Description: This oversized hand fan is made from men’s silk ties that are embroidered with cotton floss and embellished with sequins, beads, and buttons. Next fan blades are glued to balsa wood panels, then adhered to a deconstructed cardboard box fan box.
Dimensions: 31in X 26.5in
Material: silk ties, cotton embroidery floss, balsa wood, beads, sequins, buttons
Year: 2024
ALICIA TAPP
Mixed media Wall hanging of canvas, found objects, paper, plastic, and yarn, figurative sculpture using clay and found objects
What do you do when you see a crumpled piece of paper, a rusty metal bottle cap on the street or a piece of yarn? This is the highlight of MY day.. Voila, A spark of inspiration! I reduce, reuse and repurpose these ‘treasures’ into a collage wall hanging or I decorate a figurative ceramic sculpture. My garage is the trashiest studio. Because of my background in NYC fashion illustration, I focus on a meeting point between trash and fashion. I give an extended life and narrative to all my creative art forms.
Title: Eco – Chic
Description: As a nod to environmental consciousness I constructed a figurative sculpture. I unraveled a stained blue sweater and created a design showing that it could be crocheted into this fashion forward look. Additionally adding roving yarn and chandelier parts.
Dimensions: H24in, W7in, D7in
Material: Clay, chandelier parts, rusty pedestal., yarn and thread
Year: 2024
ILNA COLMERE
My artwork recycles daily walk elements-wood, metal, plastic, bone, twine,tech parts,and paint skins.
My entries reflect the impact of a natural, unexpected disruption to progress. As well as the contributing factors valued in building who and how we are valued.
Title: Net Worth
Description: The piece folds back the threads of life experiences contributing to our life’s Net Worth.
Dimensions: 36in X 36in
Material: Acrylic on canvas, wood, metal, technology parts, bone, twine, woven plastic bags. Highly text
Year: 2022
ELAINE BORNEMEIER
Materials used for this artwork, recycled canvas panel, newspaper, fabric scraps for back ground and the new dress. Old beads for buttons and earrings, scrap black ribbon, marker and acrylic paint. Left over black poster board and old used frame.
I paint women; all women in this fabulous world are sisters. The sisters are strong, beautiful, resilient, smart, kind, passionate and elegant. The sisters are from different places, times, and ages. With her eyes closed, thinking of that certain time, place and event. You, are seeing what she is thinking and feeling. she has been waiting for this dress for a long time. This is a big deal, making the news with the new dress. This dress is so fabulous it is flowing over the frame, nothing is going to contain this dress.
Title: Sisters New Dress
Description: Sisters are strong, beautiful, resilient, smart, kind, passionate and elegant. A sister with her eyes closed, thinking of that certain time, place and event. You, are seeing what she is thinking and feeling. she has been waiting for this dress for a long time. This is a big deal, making the news, this dress is so fabulous it is flowing over the frame, nothing is going to contain this dress.
Dimensions: 14.5in W x 23.5in H
Material: Recycled poster board, canvas panel, newspaper, beads, ribbon, fabric scraps, marker, acrylic,
Year: 2024
NENA KING
… I shall be restored… Nature’s ability to make a comeback is an incredible life lesson. Be it from natural or man-made disasters, she finds a way to become reborn. From a parched wrecked surface, new life emerges. It brings us hope.
I find comfort in this very personal piece. Following extensive surgery that resulted in infection, scarring and healing issues, my recovery took months. I was uplifted by a multitude of people that helped me heal. The love and warmth of my family and friends restored me. The flowers in this piece represent the gratitude I feel for those who surrounded me during my recovery. They are blossoming out of an otherwise wrecked carcass.
We can take this personal message and use it to make a greater statement. Just as one person can make a comeback with love and care, our planet can also be restored. We are sustainable creatures and can use our resources to restore the world around us. …
Title: Self Portrait: I Shall Be Restored
Dimensions: 22 w x 22 h x 11 d
Material: Re-used gift tissue, methycellulose, medical gauze, wool roving, silk cocoons & other upcycled
Year: 2024
DEBORA ROSENTAL
In Nature, all living things are interconnected and maintain a dynamic stability. All systems are interwoven.We need to learn from Nature what works and what does not. We have to look at Nature as a model as a mentor. Nature Knows.
Title: Revealing the unseen #2
Description: Strips of gelatin, infused with the natural starch of ground dry leaves, were intricately woven together with canvas dyed using traditional techniques and natural pigments derived from native plants.
Dimensions: 21 in x 23in
Material: Gelatin with grounded leaves, canvas dyed with natural dyes
Year: 2024
MARY JAMES
The base is covered in found Eucalyptus tree bark, the enclosure is hand-wrapped raffia over chicken wire, the egg is nestled into Shibori sculped recycled fabric, and ornamentation includes ostrich feathers, and custom yarns.
“The Nest She Never Knew” invites you on a visual journey that challenges the simplicity of nature’s design, celebrating the fantastical in stark contrast to the barren depression that the female ostrich scratches into the ground for her eggs. This three-dimensional artwork transcends the ordinary, where an ostrich egg is cradled in a meticulously crafted nest, defying the conventions of reality. Here, creativity utilizing natural and recycled materials lies within the intersection of reality and imagination.
Title: The Nest She Never Knew
Description: Mixed media sculpture
Dimensions: 16.5in x 16.5in x 9in
Material: Ostrich egg, eucalyptus bark, raffia, yarn, chicken wire, fabric
Year: 2023
ALEX CHAPPLE
In this piece, I used the smallest scraps of “unuseable” fabric leftover from other projects and carefully stitched each small scrap to a main piece of fabric, which I then wrapped around a 12×12 inch wood panel.
This piece is about waste, but it is also about abundance and potential. It is made from the smallest leftover pieces of fabric that can’t be used for sewing with, which are still a beautiful and colorful representation of my work and what brings me joy. Layering these small pieces together creates a representation of the abundance that we have where we may see waste and the beauty in the discarded.
Title: Discarded Potential
Description: In this piece, I used the smallest scraps of “unuseable” fabric leftover from other projects and carefully stitched each small scrap to a main piece of fabric, which I then wrapped around a 12×12 inch wood panel.
Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 2 inches
Material: Fabric scraps, thread, wood
Year: 2024
BYRDY WAGNER
This quilt is a mixed media composite of paper,recycled threads/paper tabs, reclaimed & rewoven fabrics; all then embellished with oddities such as a paper wasp nest, a corn cob and bits & bobs of metal, bone/buttons, sourced from my local Medina County farm.
This piece is a testament to the farm economy I live within. The center economic life of LaCoste,TX, is the feed and grain mill. Mangolds has recently ended the family’s 92-year reign. The quilt pays homage to LaCoste’s corn-based farm economy and the circularity of its care and needs for our environment. A reminder that dirt and dust are the beginning of food on your table.
Title: Mangold Memories
Description: These are my memories of the 92-year history of LaCoste’s landmark farm mill, Mangold Grain. Beginning with the feed sack filled with recyclable papers and then a re-stitched closure signifying the end of the era, the memory encapsulates long hours of labor. The tattered tartan fabric of the laborers work shirts is woven with memories of cotton & corn. Fabrics and thread are tea & rust dyed.
Dimensions: 22×36
Material: Paper, cotton fabric/threads, reclaimed metal, button, wasp nest and corn cob
Year: 2024
PATSY SASEK
I created this sing found objects, recycled leather, turquoise from broken jewelry, torn collage old magazines, watercolor on recycled paper, remnant fabric, hand embroidery, photos, natural sticks, vintage buttons, recycled sari strips & block print stamping.
Aancient ancestors, here long before we were, can teach us the wisdom of their ages if we will listen. Using everything from the earth, hides, sticks, clay, beans, natural turquoise & amber, threads, beads & pictographs, the early anazai, & later pueblo people made everything they wore, lived in, stored food in, while hunting and farming their own food. They revered the earth & knew only to take what they needed & to share the bounty with their community. They prayed to the earth & the elements & knew how sacred it was.
Title: Ancient Wisdom
Description: This piece tells the story of our collective ancient wisdom if we will listen! Our wise indigenous ancestors used natural objects found, traded, made, raised & resourced from the earth. They only took what they needed & shared it with the community. This piece tells that story with fabric, fiber, found object, beads, watercolor, leather, embroidery, sticks & collage.
Dimensions: 15in x 24in
Material: Remnant fabric, found objects, sticks, leather, sari ribbon, buttons, recycled paper
Year: 2024
LYN BELISLE
My work has always been strongly influenced by the idea of “shards” as a metaphor for human communication across time. A shard can be a found fragment of clay, a fiber remnant, a scrap of handwriting – any little clue that becomes a “secret handshake.’
In my work, I have always created narratives from mixed media, letting the process unfold organically. Shards of intuition guide me as I assemble diverse materials, with each piece leading to the next discovery. The story emerges from within, evolving with the process. My beloved media are wax, paper, fiber and clay. I rely on found objects and serendipity. Each of these pieces uses a combination of these media to craft a narrative from discards.
Title: All She Had Was House Paint and Newspaper
Description: The Narrative: A young, struggling artist, with little more than her vision, crafted a wedding kimono from old newspapers and leftover white house paint. Each fold contained quiet determination, every brushstroke deliberate and steady. On her wedding day, she wore her creation?a garment pieced together from what had been discarded, now transformed into something striking, metaphoric, and cherished
Dimensions: 24in x24in x3in
Material: Newspaper, House Paint, Cheesecloth, Paper fiber, plant material, found objects
Year: 2024
Title: Loaves and Fishes
Description: This fiber art banner gives a nod to the miracle of the loaves and fishes, symbolizing abundance through simplicity. Created from used drop cloth canvas and recycled textiles, it reflects themes of reuse and sustainability, echoing the idea of living simply so others may simply live.
Dimensions: 12in x 22in 2in
Material: Used canvas studio dropcloth, phototransfer, clay, wire, wood
Year: 2024
JANIS HOOKER
Paper collage for design, dyed fabric and hand stitched and embellished with found objects and scraps.
My ideas began by making cut paper collage from discarded magazines. Next I select hand dyed and silk screened fabric scraps, odd objects, and repurposed finds. Then the hand stitching begins, creating and unexpected portrait of imagination.
Title: Freda the Fashionista
Description: Cut paper design. Battled fabric background, hand-stitched fabric scraps, embellished with stitch and found objects.
Dimensions: 51h X 41 w
Material: Mixed media
Year: 2024
Title: Bojangles
Description: Silk screened fabric background, threads, paper collage design. Dyed fabric hand stitched and embellished with objects and scraps.
Dimensions: 41w X 57h
Material: Mixed media
Year: 2024
TERESA REYNOLDS
This mixed media artwork uses vibrant colors, textures, fibers and discarded materials like bottle caps, plastic bags and netting to depict an ocean scene highlighting both the sea’s beauty and critical environmental concerns.
As a mixed media fiber artist, my work is deeply rooted in both social and ecological concerns. I possess an unyielding willingness to experiment with any media that can help convey a relevant and impactful message. My artistic journey is largely dictated by the discarded materials I encounter, choosing to breathe new life into what was once considered waste. It is through this process that I select my subject matter, giving these found objects a renewed purpose and narrative.
Title: Don’t Trash the Ocean
Description: Mixed Media same as entry description
Dimensions: 20in X 22in X 1.5in
Material: Poster board, used color catchers,plastic bags,bubble wrap,produce mesh,six-pack rings, plastic
Year: 2024
SHANNON WEBER
Reclaimed vintage washi book and Japanese comics pages, rust dyed, hand burned, applied in numerous layers, cut reclaimed rusted metal pieces, hand stitched with linen thread, coastal driftwood burned for markings and message.
Circularity defines every aspect of how I work. My designs are known for their curious, shapeshifting approach to using various hand collected materials from reclaimed, recycled, nature, or Ocean debris. I work all these materials in layers using basic hand stitching, weaving, or cold connection applications. Where I excel is taking every piece of raw material and putting my own spin on it by marking, burning, or dying. This causes me to reinvent the wheel with every design as no material can replaced.
Title: Embers
Description: Vintage Washi papers, rust dyed, burned, rusted metal stitched
Dimensions: 18in x 18in x 3in
Material: Washi paper, rusted metal, thread
Year: 2023
Title: Diary
Description: Hand burned comic book pages, applied in layers, burned collected broken boat debris from coastal Oregon beach, oil stick edges to move design forward.
Dimensions: 16in x 16in x 3in
Material: Vintage Japanese comics, driftwood, oil stick
Year: 2023
CLAUDIA LANGFORD
I make paper, utilizing different fibers such as cotton, abaca, and various botanicals. Adding color and texture to the paper pulp expands the possibilities of how I can use a piece of hand made paper, enabling me to print photos, collage or construct artwork
I have made an awful lot of paper over a period of time – some of the hand made paper has been used successfully on projects and some, well, not so much. Those whoopsie pieces of hand made paper and paper scraps end up in a very large bag, piling up, just waiting for the right project to come along. (Most of the time those scraps remain in the bag.) I also like to work with Japanese washi paper on small projects like cards. I can’t bear to throw away any of the pretty leftovers so they ended up in my collage too.
Title: West Texas in My Memory
Description: It’s been too long since I’ve been back to West Texas where the pace of life is slower and the air feels clearer. But I can always daydream about the wide open spaces, the mountains, and the stark beauty.
Dimensions: 4.5 x 6.5in framed and matted to 11 x 14in
Material: scraps of artist made paper
Year: 2023
MARGARET FITCH
‘Waste Paper Basket’ is made of paper bags cut using the Japanese Kirigami technique with acrylic matte medium used to hold its shape. ‘Nesting’ is made of plaster cloth, paper, encaustic wax and found objects; a balloon was used to form the wet plaster cloth.
‘Waste Paper Basket’ is what might happen if cut paper bags consciously decided to jump out of the recycle bin and morph themselves into a second life as containers for other discarded paper beings. ‘Nesting’ uses discarded rice paper scraps mounted onto a plaster cloth sphere to form a cozy, round shelter for a discarded wasp’s nest. The pedestal displaying both nests alludes to the foundation used by winged creatures to anchor their homes, usually tree branches or corners of things. A fragile balance of life
Title: Waste Paper Basket
Description: This Waste Paper Basket is made out of what it was made to hold: waste paper. Using the Kirigami technique, paper bags were cut and assembled to form the shape they are meant to be used for.
Dimensions: 12in H X 9in W
Material: Paper bags, acrylic matte medium
Year: 2024
Title: Nesting
Description: An abandoned wasp’s nest is sheltered inside a sphere sitting on a delicate, 3-legged, entwined root pedestal.
Dimensions: 9in H X 7in W
Material: plaster cloth, rice paper, encaustic wax, found objects
Year: 2024
LYDIA ALGERIA WHITE
This Cob Web Broom was created with all natural, environmentally friendly materials. Here dyed broomcorn, waxed cotton thread & a bamboo stick were gathered, wrapped and woven to produce this cut above sweeper.
Even the humble, hardworking kitchen broom can be uplifted to a thing of beauty. This bamboo handle has its own environmental story. While walking our dogs one morning, my husband found this stick on a pile of brush ready for trash pick up. Knowing how I enjoy the challenge to create unique art pieces, my husband brought the abandoned stick home. I knew the moment I saw this textured bamboo shoot it was destined for a new life. Yes, it can still sweep with the best of them, but it now can be hung up to be enjoyed as well.
Title: A Cinderella Story
Description: This Cob Web Broom was created with all natural, environmentally friendly materials. Here dyed broomcorn, waxed cotton thread & a bamboo stick were gathered, wrapped and woven to produce this cut above sweeper.
Dimensions: 5 inches W x 54 inches H x 4 inches D
Material: Dyed broomcorn, waxed cotton thread & a bamboo cane
Year: 2024
BETH CUNNINGHAM
Paper: newspapers-foreign and local, dress pattern tissue, gift wrap, rice paper. Adhesives: konnyaku paste, cellulose paste, Elmer’s glue, masking tape. Scraps: fabric and thread. Layered paper with momigami folding. Dress support-papier mache cage.
My paper dress series is a tribute to my mother, Mary, a talented seamstress who made me and my doll identical dresses. Each dress tells a personal story—whether for Easter Sunday, a party, or a dream of visiting Korea—while also acting as a camouflage, concealing hidden emotions. Inspired by paper artists Jennifer Collier and Isabelle de Borchgrave, I use konnyaku paste and momigami folding to transform paper into a durable, sewable material. This practice of repurposing papers brings a sustainable element to my work.
Title: Dreaming of Korea
Description: paper dress with pleated skirt and embroidery over papier mache cage
Dimensions: 19.25 X 12 X 11in
Material: discarded Korean newspaper, dress pattern tissue wool floss
Year: 2024
KRISTINE LUBER
fabric scraps of all weights, fiber content and vintages – ribbon, lace, yarn, roving, wire, buttons, beads. I seldom buy anything new because I have plenty of supplies from my family’s accumulation, creative reuse stores and generous friends.
All my projects reflect my desire to turn castoff textiles into something beautiful. I have become known for my scrap fabric & thread painted landscapes and bright sunsets. If something can be made of fabric, I’ve done it, often using my art in clothing and home decorations. It’s a rare day when I don’t have a needle in hand to sew “something.” The pinnacle of my recycled materials is copper stripped from the Kansas Statehouse dome in 2013 and given to select Kansas artists to incorporate in their work.
Title: If Van Gogh Lived in Kansas
Description: I’m known for accepting castoff textiles and sewing notions from anyone and scouring creative reuse stores for fabrics and trims for my colorful landscapes. I can’t remember where the swirly polyester knit fabric came from, but I’ve had the swatch for a long time, just waiting for the right moment to use it. The swirls provide a Van Gogh-esque sky for an otherwise typical prairie landscape.
Dimensions: 12in x 9in
Material: polyester double knit, felt, upholstery fabric and quilting cottons, thread, beads & floss
Year: 2023
OLIVER MARTIN
Second hand fabrics, thread, found sea shells, beads. Patchwork and visible mending techniques.
My pieces use second hand materials and mending techniques to convey ideas about forging identity as a queer person. These pieces also talk about transness and trans bodies being naturally occurring. These pieces are about the beauty of trans bodies and how natural transness is. It also speaks about the body as a canvas for people to express themselves and their identities.
Title: TRANSience
Description: hand sewn bust using second hand fabrics, thread, and yarn, sourced from the San Antonio Center for Creative Reuse (Spare Parts), and seashells found personally at a beach in South Padre.
Dimensions: 3ftx3ft
Material: Second hand fabric and thread, beads, marker, and found sea shells.
Year: 2024
MICHELLE BEDROSIAN
Cotton and handspun discarded plastic grocery bags.
Half of living corals have died since the 1950s. One of the many causes of this die-off is the presence of plastic bags and other pollution in the ocean. In this piece, handspun discarded plastic bags, used in the weft, are floating between and intertwining into the ocean blue warp. (The weaving pattern is based on a sample from Warp & Weft (Aug 1950).)
Title: Untitled
Description: Half of living corals have died since the 1950s. One of the many causes of this die-off is the presence of plastic bags and other pollution in the ocean. In this piece, handspun discarded plastic bags, used in the weft, are floating between and intertwining into the ocean blue warp. (The weaving pattern is based on a sample from Warp & Weft (Aug 1950).)
Dimensions: 18inx14in
Material: Cotton; Plastic grocery bags; Salvaged embroidery hoops
Year: 2024