Not long ago, I lost a dear artist friend. Her passing made me realize how deeply I value the women who have supported, inspired, and enriched my life. This dress sculpture is my tribute to them; a celebration of their creativity, resilience, and grace. I created it using discarded and donated materials, including art history slides and transparencies I used in my classroom for many years. I removed them from their mounts,cut and stitched them into a fragile fabric-like structure.

I added women of many races and nationalities as well as images of myself, my mother and grandmothers, aunts, missionaries, nude pinups and figures from the Equal Rights Amendment movement of the 1970s, such as Shirley Chisholm. With their permission; transparent portraits of friends and former students are also woven throughout. Inside the dress, an LED light glows within a heart made of found plastic and covered with red fabric; a symbol of women’s enduring strength and connection.

Threads of Enduring Sisterhood

completed November 2023