Mary Burns’ hand-woven portrait of Tinker Schuman. Photo courtesy of the Miller Art Museum.
Women and Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World, an exhibit by Wisconsin fiber artist Mary Burns, opens May 24 at the Miller Art Museum, 107 S. 4th Ave. in Sturgeon Bay.
This exhibit, featuring 29 hand-woven Jacquard portraits, is guest curated by Wisconsin artist and photographer Suzanne Rose. It celebrates women from around the globe who are dedicated to water advocacy, science and stewardship.
A free artist reception is scheduled for May 30, 5-7 pm to celebrate the opening of Women and Water and Magnus Opus: Masters of the Figure from the Permanent Collection, featured concurrently on the Ruth Morton Miller Mezzanine.
Magnus Opus, a special exhibition honoring the museum’s 50th anniversary, features a selection of figurative works curated by Rose, drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, including a new acquisition by the late maritime artist Charles L. Peterson.
That oil painting, Sabbath at Sea, will be featured along with work by other celebrated regional artists, including James J. Ingwersen, Lester W. Bentley, William Mueller, Shirley Darch, Robert C. Heuel II, Emmett Johns, Willard H. Kolstad and Robert Leibold.
Spanning continents, Burns’ intricate weavings spotlight the vital roles women play in protecting and preserving our planet’s water resources. Her subjects include scientists, activists, water walkers, educators and healers.
Surrounded on three sides by Lake Michigan and Green Bay, Door County is uniquely positioned to reflect on the vital importance of water.
“Water is everything to us here,” Miller Art Museum Executive Director Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead said. “It shapes our economy, our ecosystems and our identity as a community. Women and Water is not only a celebration of women’s voices – it’s a call to honor and protect the water that surrounds us.”
Burns discovered weaving at a young age, initially working on basic looms, but soon graduating to floor looms with multiple harnesses. In search of more creative freedom, she invested in a Scandinavian-style Glimåkra loom and studied with British master weaver Peter Collingwood to learn the innovative technique he had developed. She continued her pursuit of advanced techniques by attending multiple workshops taught by weaver Louise Lemieux Bérubé, and soon mastered the Jacquard weaving technique.
Burns began the project in 2016, inspired by Indigenous water protectors and the deep connection between women and water in many cultures. Utilizing the Jacquard technique, she creates monochromatic weavings rich in texture and detail, challenging perceptions of both the medium and the message.
An artist talk with Mary Burns will be held at the Miller June 19, 6 pm. She will discuss her studio practice and weaving technique, and tell many of the stories behind the woven portraits in her exhibit.Women and Water will be on view through July 26, and Magnus Opus through September 20.
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