Points of Departure
Inspirations from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection
The Ruth Davis Design Gallery, as part of the 50thanniversary celebration of the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (HLATC), is pleased to present Points of Departure: Inspirations from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection.
David Newell, former director of exhibitions and outreach for the Gallery, with the assistance of three other directors emeriti, invited sixteen artists from Madison and beyond to enjoy special access to the Collection. They used it for research, study, and inspiration, and then created pieces based on their findings, exclusively for the show. Points of Departurewill feature these new works alongside their respective inspirational sources.
Participating artist Nirmal Raja, of Milwaukee, found the experience especially fruitful: “I am always eager to look at history and historical or vintage artifacts and make them meaningful to the current moment. The invitation to investigate the Textile Collection triggered an idea that demanded extensive research and work. My project has since grown into a major recent work in my portfolio.”
Newell noted of the exhibition, “It truly highlights the Collection’s amazing capacity to inspire and stimulate, while also serving as an unparalleled reference resource for the university.”
Working largely in textiles, but in a variety of styles, and some in other media, Points of Departure participating artists include (in alphabetical order):
Mary Bero (Madison, WI)
Craig Clifford (Appleton, WI)
Teresa Faris (Madison, WI)
Craig Grabhorn (Appleton, WI)
Christiane Grauert (Milwaukee, WI)
Emelia Haglund (Middleton, WI)
Mary Jaeger (New York City, NY)
Haichi Jihn (Whitefish Bay, WI)
Yevgeniya Kaganovich (Milwaukee, WI)
Dakota Mace (Madison, WI)
Nirmal Raja (Milwaukee, WI)
Bird Ross (Madison, WI)
Jason Ruhl (Madison, WI)
Maggie Sasso (Saint Francis, WI)
Diane Sheehan (Madison, WI)
Michael Velliquette (Madison, WI)
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