Exhibitions » Traveling

A Beautiful Mess: Weavers and Knotters of the Vanguard

National Tour: 2021 – Mid-2025

  • Bedford Gallery
    Walnut Creek, CA
    Feb. 26 – June 13, 2021

  • The Society of the Four Arts
    Palm Beach, FL
    Nov. 13, 2021 – Jan. 30, 2022

  • University Art Gallery
    Sonoma State University
    Rohnert Park, CA
    Feb. 24 – Apr. 10, 2022

  • Huntsville Museum of Art
    Huntsville, AL
    July 24 – Oct. 16, 2022

  • Museum of Arts & Sciences
    Daytona Beach, FL
    Dec. 10, 2022 – Feb. 5, 2023

  • Sarasota Art Museum
    Ringling College of Art & Design
    Sarasota, FL
    Feb. 25 – June 25, 2023

  • North Dakota Museum of Art
    Grand Forks, ND
    Aug. 17 – Dec. 10, 2023

  • Montgomery Museum of Fine Art
    Montgomery, AL
    Jan. 27 – Apr. 14, 2024

  • El Paso Museum of Art
    El Paso, TX
    May 16 – Aug. 18, 2024

  • Dennos Museum Center
    Northwestern Michigan College
    Traverse City, MI
    Sept. 27 – Jan. 25, 2025

  • Krasl Art Center
    St. Joseph, MI
    Feb. 1 –  Apr. 20, 2025

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From micro artworks the size of your hand to mammoth, room-sized installations, the diverse women artists in A Beautiful Mess push the boundaries of their chosen medium.

About

Using rope, yarn, clay, and wire, this group of conceptual artists knot and twist their media into sculptures that range from minimal and hyper-organized to utter pandemonium. They explore personal and political ideals — order and chaos to the extreme — and freely break the rules to create their beautiful artworks. Serious about making a strong cultural and intellectual impact, this group deftly weaves their message into works that demonstrate extraordinary technical skill.

While the means of production vary tremendously for each artist featured in A Beautiful Mess, they find commonality in their pursuit to upheave the status quo. By bringing their unique stories to the forefront, these artists draw from potent source material to create sculptures and installations staggering in beauty and conceptual backing. As artist Kira Dominguez Hultgren puts it, “weaving is about strange combinations.” Whether by utilizing non-traditional materials, tapping into personal memories, or untangling complex histories, the artists in A Beautiful Mess strive to revolutionize a previously marginalized genre.

 

Participating Artists

  • Windy Chien
  • Kirsten Hassenfeld
  • Dana Hemenway
  • Kira Dominguez Hultgren
  • dani lopez
  • Hannah Perrine Mode
  • Liz Robb
  • Meghan Shimek
  • Lisa Solomon 
  • Katrina Sánchez Standfield
  • Jacqueline Surdell

Exhibition Details

  • ~16 fiber & textile wall hangings and installations
  • 11 Artists

See More Exhibition Images

Artwork Credits

  1. Windy Chien, Circuit Board, 2021, rope, 24K gold vintage Japanese thread, synthetic chainette, 53 x 96 inches.

  2. Dana Hemenway, Untitled, extension cords, wood, paint, light bulbs, power strips.

  3. Liz Robb, Passage II, 2019, cotton, grout, 30 x 84 inches.

  4. Dana Hemenway, Untitled, extension cords, wood, paint, light bulbs, power strips.

For More Information

Alesha Colberg Martinez
Traveling Exhibitions Manager
colberg-martinez@bedfordgallery.org
Tel. 925-295-1435

Additional information, checklist, and rental quote available upon request.

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