Vermont Business Magazine 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.
ABOUT HOWARD CENTER ARTS COLLECTIVE: Members of Howard Center Arts Collective work together to ensure that there are opportunities for artists who have experience with mental health and/or substance use challenges to connect, create, and exhibit work. We strive to create a supportive, non-hierarchical community that fosters mutuality, creative expression, and empowerment.
Howard Center Arts Collective values the transformative power of the creative process on a personal, social, and systemic level, and acknowledges that we are stronger when everyone has a voice. https://howardcenter.org/videos/arts-collective-call-and-response/ https://howardcenter.org/community-education/howard-center-arts-collective.
ABOUT FLEMING MUSEUM OF ART: The University of Vermont’s Fleming Museum of Art has brought world-class art to UVM and the heart of Burlington since 1931. With over 24,000 works (and growing) within its collections, the Museum serves as an extension of the classroom that centers interdisciplinary inquiry and study. Each year, thousands of students, faculty, and visitors from across the globe explore the galleries, engage with new exhibitions, and enjoy a range of community events. Learn more at uvm.edu/fleming.
ABOUT HOWARD CENTER: Howard Center has a long and rich history as a trusted provider in the community. With a legacy spanning more than 150 years, we have been providing progressive, compassionate, high-quality care and supports to those in need. Today, we offer an array of exemplary mental health, substance use, and developmental services across the lifespan. As Vermont’s largest social service organization, our 1,500 staff help more than 19,000 people each year in over 60 locations throughout Vermont in collaboration with hundreds of community partners. Howard Center’s 24/7/365 crisis service, First Call for Chittenden County, is available to meet the needs of Chittenden County children, adults, and families in crisis by calling 802-488-7777. www.howardcenter.org. Help is here. A United Way of Northwest Vermont Funded Agency.
Source: 10.14.2024. Burlington, VT—Howard Center
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