“A Stitched-Up Life: The Work of Dr. Mary Ruth Smith” and BFA student works showcase two unique additions to the campus art environment
As the Libraries make plans to move into the Fall 2021 semester, the Crosshatch Galleries committee has completed the installation of two new exhibits in Moody Memorial Library and Jesse H. Jones Library.
The Jones Crosshatch Gallery features “A Stitched-Up Life: The Work of Dr. Mary Ruth Smith.” Dr. Smith headed up the Fabric Design concentration in Baylor’s Department of Art and History for twenty-seven years, retiring in 2020. Her work has been shown in numerous national and international venues and often simultaneously on multiple continents. Her tool of choice was the needle, using it to hand-stitch almost all of her work. Smith responds to pattern, whether in the natural or constructed environment, and told committee member Lisa Fehsenfeld that she is inspired by “anything and everything.”
-
- The Crosshatch Gallery in Jesse H. Jones Library
-
- An example of Dr. Mary Ruth Smith’s textile creations hangs from the ceiling in Jesse H. Jones Library
-
- Mary Ruth Smith’s hand-stitching could produce extremely detailed pieces
The exhibit is divided into six areas: Early Work, Sabbatical Work, Bojagi, Stitched Statements, Pattern Recall, and Books. Each section signifies a different technique used or period in her career. For example, in her sabbatical work, she began experimenting using French knots as a fabric structure. A one-inch square of a pattern using this technique took two hours to complete, creating patterns and images that look like paintings.
In the Moody1 area of Moody Memorial Library, the rotating exhibit space features a selection of works created by BFA students under the instruction of Winter Rusiloski, assistant professor of art and art history. The works highlight the creativity of a small but vital population of students in the Department of Art and Art History.
-
- Works from BFA students hang on the wall of the Moody1 exhibit space in Moody Memorial Library
-
- Works on display in the BFA student exhibit feature a variety of styles and influences
We hope you enjoy these exhibitions highlighting Dr. Smith’s endless experimentation and curiosity and the burgeoning skills of our student artists! Please visit baylor.edu/library/exhibits for more information on these and upcoming exhibits in the University Libraries.