Manufactured Narratives: Chronicles of Textile Artists

Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts | Grand Rapids, Michigan

Manufactured Narratives highlights fiber artists who weave stories through their artwork. Fiber art is an intrinsically hands-on discipline, as artists manipulate materials through intensive manual labor. It straddles the line between form and function, as many fiber artworks retain traditional utility. Yet within fiber arts, a distinction often emerges between creating for function and creating for beauty—the difference lying in the emphasis on aesthetic value over practicality.

The narratives explored in these works often center on a single question or draw from personal experience. While this juried open call challenged artists to create textile works with a clear focus on aesthetic value, you’ll find that many pieces blur and even embrace the boundaries between form and function.

Participating Artists

Dana Albrecht, Jessica Elena Aquino, Jim Arendt, Claire Ashcraft, Aliana Grace Bailey, Boisali Biswas, Rebecca Cynamon-Murphy, Amber Doe, Daniela Gomez Paz, Carol Irving, Ruth Jeyaveeran, Monica Johnstone, Melissa Joseph, Colleen Kole, Mônica Lóss, Nancy McRay, Rosemary Meza-DesPlas, Suzanne Morlock, Maureen Nollette, Kaelin Porter, Nadia Rea Morales, Amanda Sheley, Amy Usdin, Patrick D. Wilson