Archiving Place

October 3, 2025 - March 14, 2026 | West Wing & Commons Galleries

Archiving Place examines the sense of place through the perspective of textile artists from the Southeast region. Whether place is interpreted through physical geography, cultural practices, emotional connections, symbolic significance, and/or virtual space, the artwork is documentation of each artists’ personal experience.

The work in Archiving Place evokes a sense of nostalgia and connection to specific, and not so specific, places. Textile arts capture the essence of place through texture, color, patterns, and material choice. The very nature of textile processes, the building up through stitching, quilting, weaving, printing, beading, etc. act as a vehicle for expressing this connection and make it relatable to a wider audience. The shared human experience reflected in the textiles creates a bridge between the artist’s personal interpretation and the viewer’s broader understanding, fostering a sense of shared memories and significance.

The featured artists are members of the Southeast Fibers Educators Association (SEFEA). SEFEA is a collective of textile artists and educators, both active and emeritus, teaching in higher education in the Southeast Region of the United States. As educators in the textile arts, the members of the SEFEA are dedicated to the continuing interchange of knowledge, the exchange of ideas, and the joy of creating unlimited possibilities in textile media. SEFEA is committed to maintaining textile traditions while opening pathways for crossing new boundaries.