East Tennessee State University Department of Art & Design and Slocumb Galleries in partnership with ETSU Student Life & Enrollment, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies and Women’s Resource Center present ‘Threshold’ by Kimberly English. The public can view the exhibition and meet the artist during the closing reception Sept. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Slocumb Galleries. The exhibition is on display through Sept. 26.
“Threshold” is English’s response to navigating the recent passing of her father. Set against the backdrop of the American South, this exhibition of textiles and wooden objects examines familial dynamics, exploring themes of identity, patriarchy, memory and reconciliation. The creation and display of the woven threads are both intimate and engaging, in visual and emotional sense. The weaving practice as cathartic and liberating, the woven works serve as visualization of memories and emotional struggles.
Raised in Georgia, and living in Appalachia, English foregrounds the American South as a poignant context of this work that juxtaposes hard and soft, her own textiles clinging to, resting on and recoiling from wooden objects crafted from wood salvaged from her late father’s collection. These interactions mimic the estranged relationship that the artist attempts to protect and reconcile through material and process. Wrapping, weaving, quilting, netting, untwining and deconstruction processes adhere to and complicate the binary system within these textiles, much like loss both names and obscures relationships. The title, “Threshold,” reflects both a boundary and a point of entry, symbolizing the transitional space between past and present, personal and collective memory. It encapsulates the artist’s journey through grief and the broader cultural context of loss, inviting viewers into this liminal space.
English provides a quilting workshop and TC2 demo at ETSU Art & Design fiber studios Sept. 25 to 27, contact Slocumb Galleries director Karlota Contreras-Koterbay via email contrera@etsu.edu for more details.
Art enthusiasts, community members and supporters of the arts are invited to attend the reception to meet the artist and engage with her compelling works. Admission to the reception and exhibition is free and open to the public. ETSU Tipton & Slocumb Galleries’ diversity programming is supported by the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Arts Project Support grant, East Tennessee Foundation’s Arts Fund and ETSU Student Life & Enrollment through SAAC.
Visit www.etsu.edu/cas/art/galleries/ or email contrera@etsu.edu for the exhibition calendar at ETSU Tipton & Slocumb Galleries. Gallery hours are Mondays through Fridays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours during receptions and by appointment. Located at Ernest C. Ball Hall, 232 Sherrod Drive at ETSU campus, past the roundabout. Parking and handicapped access is available.
