media: weavings made from plastic bags and recycled materials

year: 2026

on display: hastings gallery at sandhills community college, pinehurst, NC

every weaving in this exhibit is made entirely from recycled materials and found objects: plastic shopping bags, discarded clothes, beach treasures, holiday decorations, packaging, and product wrappers. the exhibit’s title – no strings attached – references the popularity of plastic, an invention that promised convenience and affordability when first introduced in the early 1900s. by the 1950s, this synthetic material took over the world by storm, rapidly replacing more sustainable materials like wood, metal, and glass. decades later, this magical invention has contributed to overflowing landfills and widespread pollution of marine, riverine, green, and urban spaces. as humanity’s trash piles up, it's increasingly clear that these materials have many strings attached.

textiles, a type of fabric made by interlacing fibers, also have many strings attached. weaving, knitting, and felting have also shaped the human experience for nearly 30,000 years. first used for clothing, baskets, and insulating dwellings, textiles are now in much of what they own including the carpet we walk on, the upholstery in our cars, the clothes we wear, and the bedding we fall asleep in. in cultures around the world, feminine labor produced woven textiles that transmit meanings and tell stories by bringing together disparate strands of fiber and color. weavings are no longer made entirely by hand, but by mechanized processes that unravel the visibility of the people behind them.

the weavings in this exhibit, all made by hand on a four-harness floor loom, are a reminder of the futurities and afterlives of materials used in textiles. as a creator who makes weavings with recycled materials and found objects sourced from community members and partner organizations, the artist often thinks about the memories embedded in her textiles. tinsel is particularly visible material in this exhibition, these shiny remnants were a backdrop to special moments: birthdays, baby showers, brand events, and other celebrations, imbuing the work with extra joy.