Behind the Stitch: Conversations With an Artist

Denver Arts and Venues hosted their closing ceremony for the Woven Together exhibit at the McNichols Civic Center Building on Saturday, December 16, 2023.

Upon first glance at the building, you would never imagine all the incredible art within it. The McNichols building is comprised of 3 levels, each showcasing unique and distinctive art from multiple artists. Each level is a different exhibit, but all work harmoniously together and create an interesting juxtaposition of different interpretations of a theme.

The current inspiration for the displays is fabric arts, from traditional and modern to local. Woven Together was an exhibit of various forms of fiber art by local artists. This show brought together 27 artists from around the community to show their works and the different methods that they all work in. Some work consists of quilts, fabric collages, crocheting, cross stitching, embroidery, crewel, sewing and more.

The Curio Cabinet team had the chance to sit with a few artists from the show to hear more about their stories and how they bring their beautiful art to life through different mediums.

Ladies Fancywork Society (LFS) greeted us with the most electrifying and inviting energy, which is how we would describe their work. Ladies Fancywork Society is comprised of four powerhouse women: Tymla Welch, Lauren Seip, Jae Jeanne and Jesse Dawson. Dawson, however, currently works in Vermont, yet still collaborates with the local Denver ladies despite the distance.

LFS showcase their work throughout Denver. From walls, gates, murals and more, their vibrant and eye-catching (no pun intended) yarn installations do not discriminate where they inhabit. Many know them from their permanent installation at Meow Wolf, which took three years from start to finish. However, LFS has been working and causing mayhem with their little monsters in the city for more than 16 years.

The group started as anonymous sculpture artists who were rumored to be old ladies running around Denver installing their work. Finding humor and fulfillment in their installations, their work is now recognized and sought after. This inspired them to come forward and be at the forefront of their work seeing that it is as much about the art as it is about the artist; one does not exist without the other. When asked about their creative process, they describe it as a hive-mind mentality. This was revealed during our time with them as they all shared similar thoughts, finished each other’s sentences, and understood one another in a manner that can only be achieved through deep sisterhood and connection. 

With so many detailed and vibrant installations, they shared that their work comes to life by the spaces, and by allowing time to be on their side.

It’s not in our control what we are creating, it’s the force that comes through,” said LFS.

Their creations, or their babies/monsters as they refer to them, take on life forces of their own. While in the creation process, the LFS team channels their energy to create something unique in a way, possessed by the spirit of their creations that are part of their yarniverse. With different names and personalities, their work is unique; no two creations are the same. For this exhibit, they presented their looms, which show the process of crocheting large-scale stencils from one to five feet tall to create murals. The pieces have patina from continuous use.

When speaking about what inspires them and how they stay driven, the LFS team shared, “just be weird and do whatever the hell you want to do… and have fun.” 

Also present at the closing ceremony was Frederique Chevillot, educator and French artist otherwise known as Sister Fred. Chevillot’s joyful demeanor and wealth of knowledge led us into an emotional conversation about the beauty of life, death and art. Before she became a quilter and while her daughters were young, Chevillot learned about the applique technique. She was wholly taken by the process of using fabric to form images and patterns, and 25 years later, she became a master quilter. However, she realized there was too much pressure to choose fabrics, go to the store, and gather materials for her pieces, so Chevillot used what she had around her like a t-shirt, and any scrap pieces of fabric she could get a hold of. As a result, she gave a second life to otherwise forgotten pieces.

While exploring exhibits at the Denver Art Museum in 2008, Chevillot came across the quilts of Gee’s Bend, made by descendants of enslaved people who worked the cotton plantation established in 1816 by Joseph Gee along the Alabama River. These beautiful and abstract quilts kept the tradition of piecing together whatever fabric scraps to create something utilitarian. Seeing this work was a turning point for Chevillot, leading her to make the piece “Rhapsody in Blue Jeans” that was recently on exhibition at the Buell Theatre Lobby this past December.

Chevillot took to heart the principle of minimizing or extinguishing waste by using everything. “Faire du neufavec du vieux,” she quoted in French, which translates to, “it is with old things we make new things.” This principle has led her to develop her current process, what she calls her Sacred practice, where she takes the clothing of those who have passed and creates quilts from them. She shared that each person comes through differently. Sometimes, she feels the spirit of those who have passed fighting her, making it a very laborious process of creation both physically and emotionally. 

Chevillot has been described by her loved ones as a death doula, providing guidance to the dead. These works are entirely free, and the reward is the joy and gratitude families feel when receiving her pieces. Sister Fred plans to visit Alabama in the spring for a conference where she will go to Gee’s Bend and visit the birthing place of the quilting that inspired her and was the changing point of her artistic career. 

The Woven Together exhibit, which ran from November 5, 2023 to December 17, 2023, celebrated the work of artists from the local community who submitted their work through an open call and were selected to be showcased in the exhibition. These inspiring artists encourage thoughtfulness, precision and connection through their work and artistic processes.