MILWAUKEE — Quilts with hidden details. A flag made from red and white shirts and blue bras. Plastic woven together. Those are just some of the pieces of art hanging on the walls of the Jewish Museum Milwaukee through the end of the year.
The exhibit, Women Pulling at the Threads of Social Discourse, opens to the public on Friday, September 8th.
"We are really celebrating fiber arts and its ability to communicate and address social justice issues," said Museum Curator Molly Dubin.
At the heart of the exhibit is the juxtaposition between soft materials, like cloth or thread, and the often challenging or hard message behind the art.
"I think that's one of the things that makes it so powerful, its a little bit jarring," Dubin said of the exhibit. '
Some of the themes evident at the exhibit are voting rights, the environment, and bodily autonomy.
"Fiber arts has traditionally been looked at as a women's medium or discipline and it's often been designated as craft and spoke to as being easy," Dubin said. "The fact that these artists are using their craft and also infusing their own personal experiences, diverse backgrounds and beliefs to confront these issues and to shine a light to foster conversation is incredibly powerful."
Artists are featured from around the country including 10 from the Midwest. While there are only a few Jewish artists with work on display, Dubin explained that the exhibit represents much of what the museum stands for.
"[They're] issues that are very much in the foundation and evergreen to what we do. Inequality, looking at genders, minorities, races that aren't treated equally, don't have equal access, the immigration issues," Dubin said.
Along with the art itself, the museum is also offering various programming throughout the exhibit's run, including a tapestry and text fiber workshop. For more information on the exhibit and the associated programming, click here.
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