Inhabiting Place

About this event

Opening Reception: October 24, 1 - 4 pm

Artists’ Talks & Panel Discussion: Oct 24 | 2:00pm

This exhibition and symposium welcome artists Anna Evans, Coulter Fussell, and Julia Gabriel Weber, whose contemporary and non-traditional quilt making explores themes inspired by relationships and reflections of lived experiences in diverse rural landscapes. Provocative artworks use a variety of methods and materials. They encourage viewers to actively consider how natural environments are both foundational for individual and shared experiences and inspirational for appreciation of beauty in unique spaces whether they may seem familiar, remind us of what we may commonly overlook, or encourage us to appreciate dimensions of faraway places.

Evans' sculptural works incorporate naturally dyed fabrics, quilting, weaving, and forms inspired by the Utah desert landscape. Her installations evoke the essence of the natural world, inviting viewers into a contemplative experience and fostering a remarkable sense of calm. Incorporating community-sourced textiles and photographic materials, Fussell creates quilted, stuffed, and braided forms that blur the boundaries between personal histories and broader social narratives. Her works examine connections between ecological systems, consumer culture, and the emotional complexities of human experience. Weber uses photography printed on fabric to create pleated and geometric forms that reflect the vastness of the Western landscape. Her work considers how fleeting moments can be stabilized through material and care, transforming memory into a physical presence. Curator Casey Galloway-Metz has selected these three artists for this year’s symposium because each one has a unique way of capturing the essence of the rural environments they call home. “The artists explore diverse geographies through the transformation of materials and imagery, expanding and reimagining quilting traditions. Their works challenge preconceived notions of what quilts can be. These are not your average quilts. Visitors will see traditional techniques applied to three-dimensional forms and unexpected materials, revealing the versatility, innovation, and artistic potential of contemporary quilting.”

This symposium, established in 2010, was named in honor of a longtime San Antonio resident Debbie McMahon. McMahon, who passed away in September of 2007, was an accomplished and devoted fiber artist who participated as a student and Trustee at the Southwest School of Art. We are very grateful to Joe McMahon, Jr. for creating an endowment in Debbie’s name to facilitate this annual conversation on contemporary fiber arts.

Inhabiting Place: Work by Anna Evans, Coulter Fussell, & Julia Gabriel Weber will be on view from October 24 through December 4 at the Russell Hill Rogers Galleries in the Santikos Building on the UT San Antonio Southwest Campus. Closed during Thanksgiving weekend.

In addition, Anna Evans will be offering a workshop, Functional Applique & Hand Quilting, Sat & Sun, Oct 24 & 25 | 9:00am – 11:00am. Please see utsa.edu/pace for description and registration information.