Holding Together: Cloth, Material, and Making

Location: Madison County Arts Council, 90 South Main Street, Marshall, NC 28753

The Madison County Arts Council is pleased to present Holding Together:  Cloth, Material, & Making, a major group exhibition exploring weaving as both material practice and cultural metaphor. Curated by Marshall-based artist Amber M. Jensen, the exhibition brings together artists selected through a combination of invitation and open call, creating a dynamic conversation between regional voices and artists working across the country.

Featuring textiles, ceramics, basketry, handmade paper, wood, metal, book arts, video, and movement-based work, the exhibition expands traditional definitions of weaving to consider how artists today are creating connections across materials, histories, disciplines, and communities.

Artists included in the exhibition represent a broad geographic range, with works traveling to Marshall from New Mexico, Minnesota, Illinois, Vermont, New York, Tennessee, and throughout North Carolina.

Curator Statement

“Weaving is one of humanity’s oldest technologies for making connections. Long before it became a textile process, it was a way of understanding how separate parts could be brought together to create strength, beauty, and belonging. The artists in this exhibition are all exploring that idea, asking how we build meaning through repetition, accumulation, structure, and care. Whether working with cloth, clay, wood, paper, movement, or metal, each artist reminds us that making is ultimately an act of connection.”

Participating artists include Elysabeth Cianci, Kimberly English, Angela Eastman, Miranda Heidler, Holly Wilder, Eleanor Annand, Julie Leonard, Christine Novotny, Ann Coddington, Kayla Powers, Kyle Cottier, Hannah Bennett, and Sawkille Co., with additional artists to be announced.

The exhibition will occupy the first-floor galleries throughout its run, with special opening-night installations extending onto the third floor. Third-floor works will be on view for opening night only.

Curator

Amber M. Jensen is a textile artist, educator, and curator based in Marshall, North Carolina.

Working primarily with handwoven cloth, wool, and textile-based processes, Jensen explores themes of memory, repair, place, and connection. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has been featured by organizations and publications including the American Craft Council, Selvedge Magazine, and the Homo Faber Guide.