For Immediate Release
Contact: Chris Salinas,
chris@sjquiltmuseum.org
August 14, 2023 (SAN JOSE, CA)— Excellence in Fibers VIII, an annual juried exhibition featuring the best in contemporary textile craftsmanship, opens on September 15, 2023 at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. Gallery hours on Opening Day are 11 am to 5 pm, with a free public reception from 5:30 pm - 7pm.
The new exhibition, which follows the Museum’s successful Queer Threads run, features works by 16 leading local, national, and international contemporary fiber artists. Each of the artists selected expands the boundaries of fiber art as a medium, deploying it to address some of today's most urgent social issues. Broader themes of feminism, war, diaspora, immigrant identity, mental health, death, disability, and climate are present throughout. The exhibition is guest curated by Mr. Demetri Broxton, an independent curator and practicing artist, who also serves as Senior Director of Education at Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco.
“Demetri has assembled such an incredible array of textile techniques. There’s sewing, weaving, crocheting, quilting, embroidery, basket weaving, knotting, papermaking, felting, beading, dressmaking, and upholstery - indeed, there’s something for everyone,” said Museum Board Chair, Melissa Leventon. The exhibition is sure to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in fiber arts, especially school-aged children and seniors, those with sensory or other differently-abled people because of the bright colors, the textures, and the subject matter.
Excellence in Fibers VIII is on view through January 7, 2024. The public is encouraged to check the Museum website for upcoming events including artist-led workshops and community programming. Memberships to the Museum are available at various levels. Donations to the Museum can be made at www.sjquitmuseum.org/donate.
About San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles: The San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles’ mission is to preserve, celebrate, and promote knowledge about quilts and textiles, their creation, beauty, and their relationship to human culture and expression. During its nearly 46-year history, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles has touched the lives of more than 100,00 visitors, demonstrated fabrics’ innate power to connect people of varied backgrounds, provided opportunities for cultural art engagement, and built civic connections. www.sjquiltmuseum.org and @sjmqt on Instagram.
