Art Exhibit: “Travels in Woven Color”

Tradition and innovation were intertwined in a beautiful display of shared history at The Arts Center In Orange during the opening reception for its latest exhibit, “Travels in Woven Color.” The show features 20 textile, tapestry and woven pieces by members of the Rivanna Weavers.

Although each piece has its own character, from delicate and complex to bright and bold, all were created using skills that have been used for centuries, growing and adapting along the way.

“It’s all about introducing people to these traditional techniques and how they’ve been used to create something modern,” said Arts Center director Anna Pillow.

As part of the arts center’s educational mission, the exhibit places emphasis on the way the pieces fit into weaving tradition and the processes used to produce them. In the gallery, visitors can view an example of an unfinished tapestry still on the loom beside a finished version of the same piece, in addition to a wide variety of artworks utilizing and reinventing patterns passed down throughout history.

In fact, one of those older patterns ultimately served as the spark for a larger conversation about the connections between art and history. Jenniffer Powers, collections manager at Montpelier, came to the exhibit as a guest but noticed something familiar about one of the scarves on display. When Powers approached the artist, Laurie Duxbury, she confirmed that the design used was indeed an overshot pattern, which was used frequently for coverlets during the early 19th century.

Duxbury, who works partly in historical reproduction and has several woven items on display at locations such as Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, explained that such patterns serve as a source of guidance for her work.

Speaking of a loom she acquired with origins in the 1800s, Duxbury said, “Just sitting down at that loom, knowing I was just one small person in the whole chain of people that were weaving on this old wooden instrument, who had touched where I’ve touched—it’s an inspiration, and it’s also a little bit of a responsibility.”

Duxbury now teaches weaving and says that students come to her with a variety of interests.

“Some people are interested in the historic side, but some like me have wanted to take some of those historic patterns and reinterpret them,” she said. “As art, it’s your own voice.”

Explaining how many art forms “take on a life of their own” in accordance with access to materials, inspiration and historical events, Powers added, “You’re a part of history in that way.”

Even among those who were less zoomed in on the academics of the exhibit, it was clear that the current community at The Arts Center is a result of building on a 25-year history of connecting Orange County to fine arts.

When asked what originally motivated her to visit the center, exhibit frequenter Cheryl Lewis revealed that her friend Carol Couch had invited her. Couch, in turn, explained that while she didn’t used to see herself as an “art person,” it was former Arts Center director Laura Thompson who helped her to overcome her initial intimidation. A friend and neighbor, Thompson taught her that it was okay to listen to her intuition about the artworks that spoke to her.

Couch reminisced, “She always said that art is for everybody.”

“Travels in Woven Color” is on display now through Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, at The Arts Center In Orange, located at 129 E. Main St. in the Town of Orange. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.artscenterinorange.com.

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