Howard Center Arts Collective, in partnership with the Fleming Museum of Art at the University of Vermont, presents the exhibition Let the Fabric Speak! on display from September 3, 2024, through May 17, 2025.
The opening reception will be held on Saturday, October 19, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Fleming Museum. One of the featured works is Tied, a collaborative piece by Lydia Littwin, created from donated fabrics like baby clothing, dresses, and curtains, symbolizing shared community experiences. This exhibition showcases art made from repurposed materials that tell both personal and collective stories.
“This tapestry holds pieces of fabric and fibers, from my life and from my friends,” said Eryn Sheehan in an artist statement for her quilt-inspired work Rubber and Ribbons. Sheehan uses repurposed materials, incorporating their personal and shared histories into her work and the exhibition. Early in the project, members of the Arts Collective hosted a community fabric swap, where materials and stories were exchanged.
Howard Center Arts Collective mission is to create opportunities in the visual arts for people impacted by mental health and/or substance use challenges.
Drawing from the varied patterns and textures, each artist transformed a variety of patterns and fabrics, such as hats, curtains, pajamas, and T-shirts, into original works.
Let the Fabric Speak! begins with A Symphony of Us: a collaborative, site-specific work featuring repurposed compact discs. The exhibition continues with sixteen additional works, where artists reflect on the significance of everyday materials and the memories they hold.
“The exhibit showcases the personal and universal human desire for our stories to be heard, held, and carried on in community,” said Kara Greenblott, Howard Center Arts Collective coordinator.
This exhibition is the product of an ongoing relationship between Fleming Museum staff members and the Howard Center Arts Collective. Prior collaboration includes Call and Response: Personal Reflections on the Fleming Collection, an exhibition from 2022 in which members of the Arts Collective created work inspired by a piece from the museum collections.
Generous support for this project was provided by the Kalkin Family Exhibitions Fund and the Burlington City Arts (BCA) Community Fund.