MAIN GALLERY – “STITCHED: Connecting Community Through Abstraction”
FEBRUARY 10, 2023 – MARCH 5, 2023
WINTER ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: NANCY EASTMAN
Nancy confronts communal values and relationships to the local environment through colorful mediums and stylized threadwork. Eastman responds to the changing landscapes using found objects charged with their unique connection to Longmont’s agricultural industry, such as crop and coop fencing. Eastman also incorporates organic materials such as fallen branches, and collaged photographs of local scenes to invite the viewer to reflect upon the memories we collectively share as a community.
THE LONGMONT PAPER QUILT
“Longmont” by Eastman is a stitched paper quilt showing the diverse and disparate elements of the land and how people interact with it. Depicting animals and landscapes, but also street plans and city structures, Eastman pulls from Longmont’s agricultural history and its beginnings as the Chicago Colorado Colony. Eastman invited community members to create a multi-media square envisioning their perfect neighborhood, perfect house, or the house they live in currently. The Community Quilt was created using those representations.
YARN WRAPPED STICKS
Using sticks found on walks around Longmont, Eastman creates a triangular structure, similar to the roof of a house – furthering the connection between the land and people in it. Eastman chose the yarn based on colors from the surrounding landscape, as well as inspired by the art of indigenous tribes that Longmont sits upon. During her residency, Eastman invited the community to create their own sticks using colors they were inspired by. These community wrapped sticks adorn the West wall of the Main Gallery.
OTHER COLLABORATIONS: STITCHED WORDS WITH BARRY SHAW
In this series, Eastman stitches and folds her creations using the words and colorful drawings of Longmont resident, writer and artist, Barry Shaw.
