The first work we highlighted was Karyl Sisson’s Pepsi Faux Pot. For years, Karyl Sisson has been collecting things like sewing notions — buttons and zippers, womenʼs vanity items — bobby pins, hair pins, and curlers, and paper drinking straws like the straws in Pepsi Cola Faux Pot. “I like the idea and practice of recycling and am drawn to undervalued and overlooked materials,” Sisson says. “These common, manufactured objects, reminiscent of my childhood, are the building blocks of my sculptures and wall art, while simple interlocking techniques found in basketry and needlework are usually the method of construction.”

Our video of Simone Pheulpin’s Nova, part of the Eclipse series, gives viewers an opportunity to see up close the remarkable alchemy involved in this artist’s work. In Pheulpin’s hands humble strips of cotton become remarkable objects that evoke natural phenomena. She uses a method of her own devising, using neither glue or stitches. “I’m very, very interested in the roots, the layers, everything that is natural,” Pheulpin says. “The concretions, the accumulations, I love that, that’s the basic nature, the basis of my inspiration. I really like everything that is linear, everything that is repeated, piles of wood, walls. I love the walls, also by the sea, for example, the flowing water, the marks in the sand, the desert, the dunes, all that.” Pheulpin’s work will be part of a deep dive into materials in our upcoming exhibition, Transformations: dialogues in art and materials (May 9 – 17, 2026). 

Barcelona-based artist Aby Mackie also approaches “humble” material in innovative ways — in her case, discarded textiles and household remnants are repurposed as fine art. Sourced from the streets of Barcelona, in works like Between Order and Chaos, she reimagines overlooked materials as powerful reflections on memory and value. In Barcelona, the contents of entire homes are often either thrown into the streets or auctioned off at Encants Vells market. The creation of Mackie’s work is driven by the selection and repurposing of objects and textiles from these sources in order to explore ongoing cultural themes, including materialism and consumerism. Mackie’s work will also be included in Transformations in May.

The inspiration for Lizzie Farey’s work comes from the inherent qualities found in the natural materials around her Scotland location. Using willow, birch, heather, bog myrtle, and many other locally grown woods, her work ranges form traditional to organic sculptural forms — much of it pushing the boundaries of traditional technique.  In Willow Ball – 2 and Pussy Willow Bowl, willow seems to have been plucked unchanged from its natural surroundings, yet, with shape and color, the artist adds more. The works achieve Farey’s aim, to create baskets as reminders of the intense pleasure of nature – taking viewers to a place and a time that is universal.

Mariette Rousseau-Vermette was a noted Quebec-based Canadian tapestry artist who pioneered innovations in fiber art during the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Rousseau-Vermette created weavings in which she experimented with scale, form, material, and color, which became known as tapestry-paintings. In Verticles dans le bleu the artist incorporates metal tubes wrapped in wool to create dimension and interest. Rousseau-Vermette’s work mixing optical fibers and wool will be included inTransformations in May.

In Charred Black 2, part of his Seven Baskets series, John Garrett fashions welded wire mesh into a vessel shaped by conflict and renewal. Inspired by images of war-torn landscapes, layers of paint, metal leaf, and bound wire evoke structures scarred and rebuilt, holding both destruction and resilience within their forms. “I had seen many pictures of the destruction of wars in Sudan, Ukraine, Israel, and Gaza,… Piles of debris littered landscapes,” Garrett says. “My painted paper baskets looked to me like structures distressed and damaged and covered in dust.”  Forms were painted and repainted and became new again while speaking of horrors between the layers. Shiny metal leaf covered the interiors and exteriors of others. Charred Black 2 was wrapped with rings of plied wire and tied down with more wire or fabric, bringing to mind a structure awaiting more layers of concrete or plaster. 

In the 1970s, when she was in her 40s and early 50s, Dorothy Gill Barnes taught herself basketry through books, independent study, occasional classes, and connections with traditional makers, also drawing inspiration from contemporary artists and emerging developments in the field. Within a decade, her strikingly original works—crafted from natural materials—gained national and international recognition. Barnes delighted in revealing the ingenuity of nature, from animal-made forms to processes of growth and decay. Her work invites viewers to slow down and truly notice. In Spalted Maple Looking Glass, she has created an interactive experience: a glass lens, frames a small twig, magnifying both the object and its hollow. Through the lens, the tiny scene appears vast — refashioning something ordinary into a moment of wonder.

Marion Hildebrandt studied at the University of California, where she received degrees in the decorative arts and home economics. The artist lived and worked in Napa Valley, California, where she collected the plants — grasses, branches, pine needles, and bark — that she used to make her baskets. She employed the same materials that Native Americans used when they inhabited the area. Like them, Hildebrandt appreciated the natural materials that surrounded her, utilizing her artistic vision to create artistic art forms into structural objects like #r165.

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Rachel Max is  looking forward to reading a new biography of Anni Albers, by Nicholas Fox Weber (Anni Albers: a life), which is coming out in April next year. “But,” she writes, “whenever I need a burst of inspiration, I dip into the Writings and Conversations, by Barbara Hepworth. I’ve always loved her work. Max also recommends Craftland by James Fox as a thoughtful and timely journey through Britain’s “endangered” crafts and heritage. 

“In a digital age where handmade skill is gradually being chiseled away by mass production and AI, Fox traverses both time and land to meet some of the people keeping our need for craftsmanship alive. As a maker, I am extremely conscious of techniques – not reviving them as such, but reviewing them to make something new. Admittedly, and perhaps because I live and work in a city, I take lots for granted – how agriculture, for example, has shaped our landscape with hedgerows and stone walls. I’ve always known that Sheffield is famous for its steel production, that Birmingham has a long history of jewelery making, and that Somerset is known for willow weaving. Each area has its own unique way of doing things – stone walls and baskets vary from region to region. I’ve walked past the British Library many times without considering who designed and carved the lettering on the facade. The bells of Big Ben toll across our screens every New Year, but, like many, I take for granted the skill and expertise that went into making and tuning them. 

Fox’s writing is poetic and contemplative but what comes acoss most in this book are the skills, dedication and determination of all the people he met along the way,” Max says. “Aside from the rush weaver, Felicity Irons, many names were unknown to me, but these names and their workmanship are hardly invisible, they are part of a far greater picture – our social and cultural history. So much so that once forgotten trades have become embedded in our own names and language. Fox reminds us to look around, to notice and to take note of crafts enduring legacy.”

“I can recommend What Art Does: An Unfinished Theory, by Brian Eno and Bette A.,” Randy Walker writes. “It’s a small book (literally 3” x 5”) consisting of 122 refreshing pages written and illustrated in children’s book fashion — just my style. I savor the thoughts, and only read a few pages at a time so I can contemplate them for a while.” The book is billed as “an inspiring call to imagine a different future.”

“My favorite book of the year was about photographer, Edward Curtis — Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis by Timothy Egan,” writes Polly Sutton. “I recently got to view photos at the Rainier Club in Seattle where he lived for many years and paid for his room and board with pictures.” 

According to the publisher’s notes, Curtis spent three decades documenting the stories and rituals of more than 80 North American tribes. It took tremendous perseverance  ​— ​ 10 years alone to persuade the Hopi to allow him to observe their Snake Dance ceremony. And the undertaking changed him profoundly, from detached observer to outraged advocate. Curtis would amass more than 40,000 photographs and 10,000 audio recordings, and he is credited with making the first narrative documentary film. The Ranier Club has an important collection of his works.

Exhibition catalogs often inspire recommendations; Europe was apparently the source for fiber exhibitions in the last 12 months, based on Heidrun Schimmel’s update. The expansive exhibition of Sheila Hicks: a little bit of a lot of things was a highlight this year In Germany, Schimmel writes. The exhibition was shown in Kunsthalle Düsseldorf from October 2024 to February 2025.  “A very good catalog of the same name was published,” she writes. It chronicles 50 years of the artist’s work and features a lay-flat sewn binding and an exposed spine, A Little Bit of a Lot of Things is designed to emulate Hicks’ playful, imaginative practice. 

“Another good exhibition, Soft Power, was shown in the Museum Das Minsk, Potsdam, Germany, in 2024, she says. You can order the exhibition catalog (112 pages) and take on line tour here: https://dasminsk.de/en/exhibitions/4478/soft_power.  A truly comprehensive exhibition, Textile Manifestos—From Bauhaus to Soft Sculpture, was displayed in Switzerland, in the Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich, she says. In addition to the fiber all-stars — Hicks, Tawney, Abakanowicz — the exhibition included intriguing artists Gunta Stölz, Elsi Giaque, Lia Cook, and Masakazu Kobayashi. In conjunction, the Museum recommends the volume, Textiles Manifestos.

Exhibition catalogs were also the inspiration for both Karyl Sisson’s and Gyöngy Laky’s recommendation: the Ruth Asawa retrospective — first in San Francisco, now in New York. (If you are on the East Coast, you have until February 7, 2026 to see it at MoMA.) “The breadth of her work is astounding,” Karyl Sisson says. Gyöngy Laky also recommended the retrospective catalog, Ruth Asawa: Retrospective. She and her husband Tom Layton were friends with Ruth Asawa. “Thinking about Ruth Asawa reminds me that the US has overcome threats to our Democracy before,” Laky writes. “During another time challenging our democratic values, in World War II, the Asawa family members were sent to internment camps. The terrible and misguided 1942 Executive Order eventually incarcerated 120,000 people of Japanese descent. It was, however, as a child in those wretched concentration camps, that the talent and creative interests of Ruth Asawa were nurtured. In 1946, at the age of 20, Ruth went to Black Mountain College where she met her future husband, architect Albert Lanier. At Black Mountain College her drawing teacher, Ilya Bolotowsky, connected her drawing with her wire work describing it as drawing in space. She began her looped-wire sculptures there after being introduced to basketry techniques in Mexico”. The following year Asawa’s work was shown at SF MoMA for the first time — only to be the subject of an extensive retrospective nearly 75 years later.

Asawa left her mark on cultural history in other ways. She married her husband Albert in 1949 in San Francisco when interracial marriages were still illegal in many parts of the US. The partnership lasted 59 years!  Asawa left a legacy within the larger Bay Area community, too. She co-founded the Alvarado Arts Workshop for elementary school children in 1968 – – now the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts. She was deeply devoted to arts education. Laky writes that an Imogen Cunningham photo from the 1950s greeted visitors to the SFMoMA exhibition accompanied by a quote: “An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special.” And, Laky says, Asawa did just that. 

Stéphanie Jacques is looking forward to visiting Magdalena Abakanowicz: The Fabric of Life through April 12, 2026 at the Bourdelle Museum in Paris. “I love this museum and I’m excited to experience the works of Magdalena Abakanowicz. The catalog looks fascinating.” https://www.bourdelle.paris.fr/visiter/expositions/magdalena-abakanowicz-la-trame-de-lexistence In additional to exhibition attendance, Jacques has an ambitious reading list planned for next year. “Books are there to recharge us and open us up to other perspectives,” she writes. There are five books she’d like to read in early 2026:

To learn more about the path Rodin took to create his sculpture of Balzac: his approach, his doubts, his relationship to the real body, etc, Jacques is going to read Dérobades: Rodin et Balzac en robe de chambre by Marine Kisiel — only available in French. “Phyllida Barlow is an artist whose work I admire,” she writes. “I haven’t yet had the chance to see her pieces in person, and this book, In the Studio: Phyllida Barlow , text by Frances Morris, seems like an opportunity to discover more about her work and her creative process. Reading about other artists’ work is enriching and often prompts me to reflect on my own practice.” Three books on basketry in all its complexity and variety are also on Jacques’ list. She describes these as, “an inexhaustible source of inspiration and wonder; skills where the universal and the unique meet.”

They are Contemporary Basketry: New Directions from Innovative Artists Worldwide by Carol Eckert and Janet Koplos, Kishies and Cuddies: A Guide to the Traditional Basketry of Shetland, by Lois Walpole, and The Material Culture of Basketry: Practice, Skill, and Embodied Knowledge, eds. Stephanie Bunn and Victoria Mitchell. And Jacques may return to The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing, since she has done so regularly since first reading it over two years ago. “I have even opened it at random just to hear her voice,” she says. “It has everything: history and the upheavals of personal lives, political engagement, love, men, women, creation…” 

Gizella Warburton recommended three books about our relationship to nature: Wild Service: Why Nature Needs You, eds. Nick Hayes and Jon Moses, The Language of Trees: a Rewilding of Literature and Language, by Katie Holten and Is a River Alive? by Robert MacFarlane. Wild Service calls for mass reconnection to the land and a commitment to its restoration. A national bestseller, The Language of Trees invites readers to discover an unexpected and imaginative language to better read and write the natural world around us and reclaim our relationship with it. MacFarlane has been called “the great nature writer … of this generation.” The publisher says that Is a River Alive? is a joyful, mind-expanding exploration of an ancient, urgent idea: that rivers are living beings who should be recognized as such in imagination and law. They are not textile-related, says Warburton, but each offers “a hopeful and meaningful read.” Amen to that!

Next Week:
More book recommendations— this time from browngrotta arts …

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If an exhibition takes place but there is no catalog to document it, did anyone see it? Certainly not enough people have seen it, as far as browngrotta arts is concerned.  That’s why we produce a catalog for nearly every exhibition we host.

We had hundreds of people visit our Fall 2025 exhibition,  Beauty is Resistance: art as antidote. But we also cowry to share the remarkable works in Beauty with even more people through our installation video and Zoom talkthrough, both on our YouTube channel, and through the print version of the show, a catalog (our 61st), available on our website.

The 132-page catalog contains 125 full-color images. There are full view and detail images of each of the featured works in the exhibition. There are statements about each work in the catalog. The works in the exhibition fell loosely into four subthemes: Reading Between the Lines, Threads of Memory, Radical Ornament, and Ritual and Reverence, and the catalog identifies the category that each work falls into.

Elizabeth Essner, Windgate Associate Curator at the Museum of Art, Houston contributed an insightful essay to the catalog, “Looking at Beauty.” Essner writes about the role of nature in many of the artists’ work — for materials, lessons, and poetic inspiration. She examines varying historic conceptions of beauty, subjective, objective, and embodied, and discusses the significance of prevailing cultural aesthetics. in summarizing beauty’s pivotal place in art, Essner quotes late art critic Peter Schjeldahl (1942 – 2022) who predicted that in the future, “beauty will be what it always has been and, despite everything, is now in furtive and inarticulate ways: an irrepressible, anarchic, healing human response without which life is a mistake.”

Order your copy on our website. If it’s a gift, let us know at art@browngrotta.com before December 15th and we will gift wrap your copy before we send it.

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We began February by featuring the talented British artist Sue Lawty, whose work is deeply connected to the land and engages with the natural world. Lawty is known for creating intricate and emotive sculptures using materials like linen, wool, and other natural fibers. Her work explores the subtleties of material and construction, focusing on the repetitive elements that form distinct textual languages.

Lawty’s work has always emphasized a connection to the land and the tactile, meditative process of working with fibers, creating pieces that resonate with both the viewer’s eye and soul. With a long career that includes prestigious fellowships, including one at the Smithsonian Museums, Lawty’s influence in contemporary fiber art remains significant.

Next, we featured Karyl Sisson, a Los Angeles-based artist whose sculptures and textured forms are made from both modern and everyday materials. Sisson’s creative process is driven by pattern, repetition, and structure, with materials ranging from paper straws to fibers, often drawn from her surroundings. Her work draws inspiration from diverse sources, such as the landscape of Los Angeles, microbiology, and fashion manufacturing. By reinventing undervalued materials, Sisson challenges traditional gender roles and domesticity.

Her recent work with paper straws, inspired by cells and organisms, showcases her talent in transforming organic forms and shapes into art that grows naturally before our eyes.

Throughout the month we also highlighted Merja Winqvist, a Finnish artist known for her minimalist and sculptural textile works. Winqvist draws influence from aboriginal cultures, finding a common thread in the forms and structures she encountered in Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Her approach is rooted in functionalism, where the simplicity of her forms serves both aesthetic and practical purposes.

Winqvist’s work conveys strength and unity, with a focus on simplicity and durability. We’re honored to have featured her, as her work bridges different cultural influences and reflects a deep understanding of materiality and form.

Lastly, we showcased the work of Carolina Yrarrazaval, a Chilean artist whose intricate and tactile weaving is informed by her coastal surroundings. Drawing from multiple cultural references, including pre-Hispanic geometry and the subtlety of Japanese textiles, Yrarrázaval’s work speaks to a sense of place and time.

Her recent exhibition, Layer of Memories, explored these themes by layering materials like linen, silk, and hemp, creating works that reflect the natural beauty and textures of her environment. We are thrilled to continue sharing her remarkable artistic journey with you.

As we wrap up the month, we want to express our gratitude for your continued interest in these remarkable artists and their work. Stay tuned for more exciting new art in March! We’re thrilled to have you on this journey with us, and we look forward to more creativity, inspiration, and innovation in the months ahead.

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We’ve already told you about the Sheila Hicks’ exhibition in Germany, Olga D’Amaral’s in France and Japandí Revisited: shared aesthetics and influences, in Wayne, Pennsylvania, which closes this weekend on January 25th at 4 pm after a lecture and reception. Below some notes from the US and abroad:

California
Cut from the Same Cloth: Textiles and Technology
Palo Alto Art Center 
through April 6, 2025
250 Hamilton Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301

As the Cultural Center observes, “textiles have not only fueled the creative inspiration of artists throughout history, they also have provided the catalyst for technological innovation. Joseph Marie Jacquard, a French merchant, invented the ‘jacquard machine’ in 1801, which simplified the manufacture of textiles and later became the inspiration for IBM’s first computer introduced in the 1940s and 1950s. This exhibition,” which includes Lia Cook, “investigates the many unexplored relationships between craft and technology and demonstrates, through the work of a group of artists, how contemporary art practice has seamlessly embraced both.”

9 x 9: Contemporary Quilts & Containers
Palo Verdes Art Center 
January 25 – April 12, 2025
Opening Reception: February 1, 2025, 6 – 9 pm
5504 Crestridge Road 
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Beginning on the 25th, the Palo Verdes Art Center will showcase artworks by 18 distinguished artists from California’s established fiber art community. The artists, who include Karyl Sisson, Kay Sekimachi, and Carol Shaw-Sutton, will present innovative interpretations of traditional craft forms. “These dynamic quilted, woven, plaited, and twined works investigate the purposes and potential of cross-cultural narratives and techniques through diverse media,” says the Center, “expanding our understanding of visual culture. Material-based, conceptually engaged, and skillfully executed, these artists transform conventional quilting and container-making practices into sophisticated contemporary expressions.”

Denmark
Artapestry7, International Triennial
Kunst Centret Silkeborg Bad 
January 25 to  April 21, 2025
Gjessøvej 40
8600 Silkeborg, Denmark

This is the seventh time that the organization European Tapestry Forum has sent a juried exhibition of woven tapestries on tour in Europe, and the fourth time that the triennial has been exhibited in Silkeborg. The triennial, which includes work by Gudrun Pagter, Irina Kolesnikova, and Lija Rage, gives the audience a good insight into the current trends among weaving artists. The jury has selected the 37 most beautiful, skillfully executed and most creative tapestries from more than 100 submissions.

Washington, DC
We Gather at the Edge: Contemporary Quilts by Black Women Artists
Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
February 21, 2025 – June 22, 2025
1661 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC

In 1981, the Smithsonian acquired 35 qulits collected by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, who holds a doctorate in aerospace engineering, is a prolific artist, curator, and scholar.  Dr. Mazloomi founded the African American Quilt Guild of Los Angeles, and then, in 1985, she founded the Women of Color Quilters Network, fulfilling the desire of isolated makers to connect and continue Black textile traditions. The quilts in this exhibition are remarkable in scope and groundbreaking in their representation of Black history and culture as told with needle and thread. “Sometimes the weight of living on this planet as a woman, we have to be reminded of who we are,” Dr. Mazloomi has said. “Quilts help to serve that purpose of reminding women about their power.”

New York
Anne Wilson: The MAD Drawing Room and Errant Behaviors
through May 11, 2025
Museum of Arts and Design
Jerome and Simona Chazen Building
2 Columbus Circle,
New York, New York 10019

Chicago artist, Anne Wilson has created the MAD Drawing Room, where visitors can engage in the beauty and complexity of the artist’s personal archives of lace and openwork textiles through close looking, drawing, or writing. The Drawing Room is inspired by the Davis Street Drawing Room, Wilson’s experimental and participatory art project in Evanston, Ilinois. Within the space, visitors are invited to explore Wilson’s library of art and fiber texts, listen to the playlist of sound sources for her video installation, and draw or write using the materials provided. Wilson’s sound-and-video installation, Errant Behaviors, newly acquired by MAD, plays in the gallery. Its source material of lace and openwork fragments are also on view in The MAD Drawing Room. You can see multiple images and learn more about the MAD Drawing Room on Wilson’s website.

Canada
Dawn MacNutt: Timeless Forms
through April 18, 2025
Mount St. Vincent’s University Gallery 
Mount Saint Vincent University
166 Bedford Highway
Halifax, NS
B3M 2J6

This comprehensive retrospective exhibition celebrates Nova Scotia artist Dawn MacNutt. Co-curated by Melanie Colosimo and Emily Falvey, this exhibition showcases MacNutt’s unique approach to weaving, which she transforms into large-scale figurative sculptures that explore themes of human fragility. Accompanying the exhibition is a catalogue featuring essays by the artist herself. Spanning four decades, the exhibition moves from delicate miniatures crafted in silver and copper wire to monumental bronze sculptures cast from woven, local willow branches. Together, these works link traditional craft practices to modern and conceptual sculpture and enrich contemporary perspectives on care and the handmade. Accompanying the exhibition is a book, Timeless Forms, that features essays by the artist herself.

Korea
In the art news department: The Korean Craft and Design Foundation selected Yeonsoon Chang as the winner of its 2024 Creation Division Prize. The artwork in the photo was showcased at this year’s Craft Trend Fair in Seoul in December 2024. It is made of Teflon mesh, pure gold leaf, and eco-resin. “The artist Yeonsoon Chang continues to create works that visualize a unique aesthetic through a Korean sense of beauty, transcending the boundaries of tradition and modernity, time and space, using the properties and structure of textiles,” the Foundation wrote. “Her ongoing dedication has set an example in the craft community and garnered international recognition for the excellence of Korean craftsmanship.”

Receiving the prize has energized and inspired Chang. “For the past nine and a half years since my retirement, I have immersed myself in the study of Eastern classics and the creation of my work,” she wrote on Instagram. “Through this journey, the once-abstract concepts of 空 (Emptiness) and 虛 (Void) have taken on a tangible and experiential reality. I believe the endurance of Korean craft over thousands of years is not solely due to its techniques but to the profound spirit that lies beyond them, deeply woven into its essence. Just days ago, I envisioned slowing the pace of my life to delve deeper into this path, yet now I find myself aboard a high-speed train, unable to control its momentum. Looking ahead, I see my calling as bringing to life the spirit of Korean craft, allowing it to breathe and resonate through my work.”

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In addition to the exhibition, our New This Week series has spotlighted the work of six exceptional artists throughout December: Nancy Koenigsberg, Karyl Sisson, Annette Bellamy, Yeonsoon Chang, and Marian Bijlenga. Let’s take a look back at these inspiring artists and their contributions to the world of art.

We started the month of December off by featuring the talented artist Nancy Koenigsberg, renowned for her intricate wire sculptures. Koenigsberg’s work challenges both visually and conceptually, with sculptures that are free-standing, wall-mounted, or part of installations. Her pieces are created using a variety of materials—copper, steel, and aluminum wire—woven and knotted into grids that are shaped and layered.

Koenigsberg’s use of materials that are both shiny and dull, fragile and industrial in strength, creates an interesting interplay between form and texture. This combination of contrasts has made her work notable in the contemporary art world, with an extensive exhibition history in the United States, Europe, and South America. Koenigsberg’s ability to work with both fragile and industrial materials, pushing the boundaries of wire as an artistic medium, has garnered her numerous commissions.

We continued the month by featuring the exceptional artist Karyl Sisson, whose work draws from the materials of everyday life. Based in Los Angeles, Sisson’s work explores the intersection of fiber art and sculpture, using materials both past and present to create intricate, textured forms. Her artistic influences range from the landscape of Los Angeles to microbiology and even fashion manufacturing, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to her practice.

Throughout her three-decade-long career, Sisson has consistently focused on pattern, repetition, and structure as central themes in her work, which she explores dimensionally. Drawing from her background in basketry and needlework, she transforms everyday materials into art that speaks to the complex relationships between domesticity, gender roles, and traditional craft.

Sisson’s recent work, particularly with paper straws, is inspired by cells and organisms, which inform the organic, growing shapes she creates. Her work has been featured in numerous museum collections, and she is part of the Craft in America collection, further cementing her place in the contemporary craft world.

We then highlighted the work of Annette Bellamy, an artist based in Alaska whose work reflects her unique life experiences. Having spent many years commercially fishing in Alaska, Bellamy’s life on the water has deeply influenced her artistic practice. The physicality of both her work as a fisherwoman and her art-making process have fueled each other, creating a dynamic relationship between the two.

Bellamy strives to create art that communicates through a universal visual language. She works with both ceramics and textiles, weaving her life and experiences into pieces that speak to a broader audience. Her work reflects a balance of her life on the water and her craft, merging physicality and art with sensitivity and strength.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her and showcase her art!

We continued our December features with Yeonsoon Chang, whose masterful use of Teflon mesh, pure gold leaf, and eco-resin creates a dynamic interplay of texture and form that blends the modern with the traditional.

Chang’s work beautifully bridges cultures and techniques, merging contemporary materials with ancient traditions, resulting in pieces that captivate both the eye and the mind. Her precision and delicate craftsmanship make her a standout figure in contemporary art. Chang received the Craft Design Award of the Year from the Korea Craft & Design Foundation in December.

With her innovative approach, Chang has developed an eco-friendly resin that she applies to structures crafted from abaca fibers and Teflon-coated glass-fiber mesh. She uses a special glue to attach gold leaf to the fibers, resulting in pieces that evolve with the light. As the light shifts, the structures change, casting intriguing shadows and reflecting or refracting light, transcending the functional to become art that’s constantly in motion.

Finally, we turned our attention to Marian Bijlenga, whose work continues to challenge traditional notions of textile art. Known for her intricate woven sculptures and use of natural materials, Bijlenga explores the relationship between form, texture, and the space around her work.

Her pieces often play with the idea of repetition and the fluidity of materials, creating a dynamic conversation between the natural world and the human hand. Bijlenga’s work is celebrated internationally, and we are proud to feature her work at browngrotta arts.

Keep following along and stay tuned for more exciting updates all of 2025.

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The changeable, fluid nature of water has often been an inspiration for artists. Artists use water to convey a variety of meanings. Some are moved by water as a natural force, for others there is a more spiritual connection, and still others are interested in how humans are impacting our oceans and rivers — in each case the results are thought provoking and intriguing. 

Artists in The Art Aquatic exhibition reflect that diversity of approaches. Some have made imaginative uses of water-related materials. There are patchworks of fish skins by Annette Bellamy, who spends part of each year fishing commercially and compositions of fish scales by Marian Bijlenga. Keiji Nio photographs sea scenes, uses the images in ribbons that he plaits and edges with beach sand. Jeannet Leenderste creates baskets of seaweed she forages in Maine and works with the Rockweed Coalition. “Seaweed not only creates a habitat for countless species, it sequesters carbon,” she says, “and protects our shoreline as our sea levels are rising.”

Other works in The Art Aquatic offer more abstract references to life in the deep, including Ulla-Maija Vikman’s “painting,” Biagga (Sea Wind), made of viscose threads in marine colors.  Mariette Rousseau-Vermette’s Blue Water II, made of woven tubes of beachy blue, grey, white, and yellow, evokes a sunny day at the water’s edge. Masakazu Kobayashi’s assemblage of silk-wrapped bows reflects an ocean horizon.

A third series of works offer watery imagery, like Judy Mulford’s Aging by the Sea which incorporates a conch shell and a tiny boat covered in knotless netting, Ed Rossbach’s Fish Trap Basket, with a whimsical fish motif, the mermaid in Norma Minkowitz’s sculpture, My Cup Runneth Over, and Karyl Sisson’s Flight III, a sea-creature-like sculpture of vintage zippers.

More literal still, there are the nautical object interpretations included in the exhibition, like Mercedes Vicente‘s shell of cotton canvas. Jane Balsgaard’s Relief floats alongside Merja Winqvist’s gridded boat – both are made of paper. Text from Moby Dick is etched on Call Me Ishmael, Lawrence LaBianca’s ivory-colored boat sculpture. La Bianca has created a body of work that engages aquatic environments. “The tools we apply to nature—to contain it, shape it, understand it and categorize it also have a profound impact upon it,” he says. LaBianca references the impetus to measure, understand, contain, and manipulate nature that animates his art – that impetus is one that can animate collectors of art as well.

Join us at Ways of Seeing and learn more.

Exhibition Details:
Ways of Seeing
exploring ways individuals envision and curate art collections
browngrotta arts
276 Ridgefield Road
Wilton, CT 06897

Gallery Dates/Hours:
Saturday, September 21st: 11am to 6pm [Opening & Artist Reception]
Sunday, September 22nd: 11am to 6pm (40 visitors/ hour)
Monday, September 23rd through Saturday,September 28th: 10am to 5pm (40 visitors/ hour)
Sunday, September 29th: 11am to 6pm [Final Day] (40 visitors/ hour)
browngrotta.com

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As we approach the year’s end, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you, our loyal supporters and art enthusiasts. Your passion for art fuels our mission, and we’re excited to continue sharing the beauty and creativity of contemporary art with you.

Read on to discover what new art we showcased throughout December!

Our month began with a spotlight on Dominic Di Mare‘s exceptional body of work. Di Mare, a distinguished American artist and craftsperson, has left an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art through his diverse array of creative expressions. His artistic voyage has been a testament to his pioneering spirit, always pushing the boundaries of what art can be.

Dominic first garnered acclaim for his groundbreaking work in dimensional weaving in the 1960s, a period when he carved a distinctive niche for himself in the art world. His ability to weave together intricate patterns and textures in three-dimensional space was nothing short of revolutionary. In the 1970s, Di Mare embarked on a new artistic journey, venturing into the realm of cast paper art. This phase saw him seamlessly blend elements of paper, sculpture, and mixed media into a mesmerizing

Over the years, Di Mare’s artistic journey continued to evolve, exploring watercolor paintings and abstract mixed-media sculpture. His art often touches on themes of personal spirituality, inviting viewers to embark on their own introspective journeys through his creations.

Up next in December, we turned out spotlight to Lizzie Farey, a remarkable artist residing in from Scotland. Farey’s work is a testament to her deep connection with the natural world, drawing inspiration from the inherent qualities of the materials found in her Scottish surroundings.

Using locally grown woods such as willow, birch, heather, and bog myrtle, Farey’s creations encompass a wide range, from traditional to organic sculptural forms. Her innovative approach often pushes the boundaries of traditional techniques, resulting in pieces that are both rooted in tradition and remarkably contemporary.

Farey’s art invites viewers to reconnect with the profound pleasures of nature, transporting them to a universal place and time. Her creations are a harmonious fusion of the tangible and the ethereal, showcasing the boundless beauty found in the world around us.

We then turned our attention to Karyl Sisson, a visionary artist based in Los Angeles. Sisson’s work is a testament to her extraordinary ability to weave together the fibers of everyday life, seamlessly blending elements of the past and the present into sculptural and textured forms that transcend traditional boundaries.

Drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources, including the landscape of Los Angeles, microbiology, and fashion manufacturing, Sisson’s art is a captivating exploration of patterns, repetition, and structure. These themes are at the heart of her work, and she approaches them dimensionally, building upon her foundation in basketry and needlework.

One can’t help but be captivated by Sisson’s innovative use of materials, a practice that allows her to confront domesticity and challenge traditional gender roles. Her recent foray into working with paper straws, inspired by the intricate world of cells and organisms, has resulted in creations that appear to grow naturally and organically, inviting viewers to marvel at the wonders of the microscopic world.

Last, but certainly not least, we turned our focus to Gizella Warburton, an artist whose abstract compositions take shape through the tactile and contemplative process of drawing with paper, cloth, and thread. Warburton’s artistic journey is deeply intertwined with the materiality of her chosen mediums—cloth, paper, thread, wood, and paint. Through these elements, she connects with an innate human desire to create marks, to decipher the meaning of our physical and emotional landscapes, and to explore the transient nature of the warp and weft of our lives.

The slow, tactile intimacy of stitching serves as a mantra in Warburton’s work, inviting viewers to join her in a contemplative journey. Her creations evoke a sense of meditation, as if each mark and stitch were carefully placed to guide us through the intricate labyrinth of emotions and experiences.

Warburton’s artistry has been showcased in exhibitions across the UK, Europe, and Australia, leaving an indelible mark on the global art scene. Her work invites us to pause, reflect, and unravel the layers of meaning woven into the fabric of our existence.

As we bid farewell to December and this year, we look ahead with great anticipation for what the new year will bring. Thank you for being a part of our art-loving community. We wish you a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with inspiration, creativity, and the boundless beauty of contemporary art. Cheers to the exciting adventures that await us in the year ahead!

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As we turn the page on November, our online doors remain open for exploration. You can continue to discover the captivating work from Vignettes on our website, where the artistry of Dorothy Gill Barnes, Glen Kaufman, and more continues to shine. Additionally, our exhibition Abundance of Objects graces Artsy, showcasing an impressive array of baskets, ceramics, and sculptures from over three dozen accomplished artists.

Now, we invite you to revisit the highlights of our New This Week features throughout the last month. Read on for more!

Our month began with a spotlight on Naomi Kobayashi, an exceptional textile artist and sculptor whose contributions to contemporary art are both profound and enduring.

Kobayashi’s artistic journey is a tale of dedication and innovation. She began her career by crafting highly constructed, sculptural works of thread, showcasing her mastery of textile artistry. However, her creative path led her to explore new avenues, particularly constructions, often using paper as her medium. These creations exude an airy, ephemeral quality that sets them apart, inviting viewers to engage with her art in unique and profound ways.

And yes, before you even ask, her artwork is included in Abundance of Objects as a part of the Vignettes exhibition on Artsy from now until December 13!

Up next in November, we focused on the talented Karyl Sisson, a visionary artist located in Los Angeles. Sisson’s artistic path is a testament to her ability to weave together the threads of everyday life, both past and present, to craft sculptural and textured forms that transcend traditional boundaries. Her work is an exploration of patterns, repetition, and structure, woven together through her foundation in basketry and needlework.

One can’t help but be captivated by Sisson’s ability to confront domesticity and challenge traditional gender roles through her innovative use of materials. Her recent work with paper straws, for example, draws inspiration from the intricate world of cells and organisms, resulting in creations that seem to grow naturally and organically.

Sisson is yet another artist featured in An Abundance of Objects as part of our Vignettes series online on Artsy.

Moving further into November, we highlighted the captivating works of Katherine Westphal, a visionary artist with a profound knack for exploring surface, pattern, and decoration. Westphal’s creative journey was a continuous exploration of her medium, whether it was textiles, quilts, clothing, or baskets.

What truly set Westphal apart was her fearless embrace of fractured and surprising images, which became a signature element of her work. Her collages were vibrant, combining bold imagery with bright colors, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the visual tapestries she composed.

Drawing from her background in painting, Westphal’s process was one of building up and breaking down, allowing her textiles to evolve in an organic and unpredictable manner. Each piece was a fusion of cutting, sewing, embroidery, quilting, tapestry, and fringes, guided by her intuitive and visual senses until she felt the message was complete.

Notably, Westphal was an early pioneer in incorporating color photocopies into her work, showcasing her innovative spirit. Her legacy is celebrated in our ongoing Vignettes exhibition, where her art continues to inspire and tell its unique story.

Wrapping up our artistic journey through November, we cast our spotlight on Laura Foster Nicholson, a renowned textile artist celebrated for her exquisite handwoven tapestries.

Nicholson’s art speaks to the intersection of art and craft, where each thread is carefully chosen, and every image is intentional. Her dedication to her practice is evident in her extensive lecture and teaching experience, sharing her knowledge and passion with others who are drawn to the world of textile art.

Throughout her career, Nicholson’s distinctive style has left an indelible mark on the art world, captivating audiences with her ability to transform threads into captivating narratives. Her works are not just tapestries; they are vibrant stories woven with the threads of creativity and imagination.

As November comes to an end, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated community of art enthusiasts and supporters. Your unwavering encouragement fuels our passion for bringing the world of contemporary art to life. With the holiday season just around the corner, we are excited to continue sharing the beauty and creativity of our featured artists with you.

Don’t forget, our online viewing room for An Abundance of Objects on Artsy remains open for exploration until December 13. Thank you for being a part of the browngrotta arts community, and we can’t wait to see what December has in store!

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The excitement has been steadily building as we prepare to unveil this exceptional amalgamation of artistic excellence. Vignettes will offer a trifecta of exhibitions featuring the masterful craftsmanship of wood sculptor Dorothy Gill Barnes, the visionary weaving and surface design of Glen Kaufman, and An Abundance of Objects, a captivating showcase featuring a diverse array of baskets, ceramics, and sculptures crafted by over three dozen talented artists.

Join us as we revisit the highlights from our New This Week features in September, and stay tuned for the grand reveal of Vignettes at browngrotta arts next week, where art and creativity converge in a breathtaking display.

As we ventured into September, our New This Week series kicked off with an exploration of art from Chiyoko Tanaka. Originating from Japan, Tanaka’s journey through the realm of textiles has been nothing short of extraordinary. Her distinctive approach to weaving transforms the very act of creation into a profound meditation on the passage of time.

At the heart of Tanaka’s work lies the meticulous process of weaving, where each weft thread becomes a testament to the moments that have slipped by. Once the cloth is woven, she embarks on a ritualistic “grinding” process, where she rubs the fabric ceaselessly with tools like brick or white stone. This unique technique results in textures that convey not only her artistic prowess but also the essence of time itself.

In the world of contemporary Japanese textiles, Chiyoko Tanaka’s work stands as a testament to the captivating interplay of tradition and innovation. Her art invites us to delve into the very fabric of time and texture, and we are thrilled to have shared her remarkable creations this September.

As September continued to unfold, our spotlight turned towards renowned artist Karyl Sisson. Hailing from Los Angeles, Sisson’s art is an enchanting interplay of tradition and modernity, a fusion of the ordinary and the extraordinary. For over three decades, she has masterfully woven together the fibers of everyday life, breathing new life into discarded materials.

Sisson’s creations are a testament to her ability to find beauty in the overlooked and underappreciated. In her hands, paper straws are transformed into intricate sculptures that echo the patterns of cells and organisms, giving birth to objects that seem to grow organically.

Beyond the surface, Sisson’s work delves into the heart of domesticity and traditional gender roles, inviting us to reconsider the significance of the everyday. Her art isn’t just a celebration of creativity; it’s a profound reflection on our interconnectedness with the materials that surround us.

As we explored Sisson’s captivating creations this September, we were reminded that art can be found in the most unexpected places, awaiting those with the vision to see it. You can see her work in An Abundance of Objects, part of this Fall’s “Art in the Barn” exhibition at browngrotta arts October 7 through the 15th.

Up next, we were privileged to feature the remarkable works of the late, renowned artist Glen Kaufman. Kaufman’s artistic legacy, spanning over four decades, left an indelible mark on the world of surface design. His creations were not just artworks; they were intricate dances between texture, form, and visual storytelling.

Kaufman’s artistic odyssey began with textural weaving and macramé, but his restless creativity led him to explore uncharted territories in the realm of surface design. His innovative approach was a fusion of traditional techniques and contemporary sensibilities, creating sculptural forms that challenged the boundaries of artistic expression. His later works, adorned with photo collages and the application of gold and silver leaf, reflected a profound connection with Japanese aesthetics and architecture, showcasing the global influence on his artistry.

As we celebrated Kaufman’s contributions this September, we were reminded that true artistry knows no boundaries of time or place. We’re honored to continue his legacy by featuring his art in our upcoming exhibition, Glen Kaufman: Elegant Eloquence and of three exhibitions that make up Vignettes!

As we conclude our artistic journey through September, we pay tribute to the late Gary Trentham, a luminary in the realm of woven textiles and fiber sculptures. Trentham’s artistic roots ran deep, nurtured by a childhood fascination with textiles that would later become his creative muse.

Trentham’s distinctive path to artistic prominence is a testament to his passion and dedication. His baskets, with their quiver-like forms, challenged the conventional perception of textiles and sculpture. Trentham’s artistry was a symphony of form and function, where fabric became a malleable medium for his boundless imagination.

We look forward to featuring Trentham’s extraordinary creations in our upcoming exhibition, The Art of Abundance, one of three exhibitions in Vignettes.

As we close the chapter on September, we eagerly turn the pages to October, where our upcoming exhibition, Vignettes, awaits. We hope to see you all there!

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