Exhibition

Soft/Cover

October 9, 2024–August 17, 2025

A large, tri-fold room divider made of light wood and cream fabric. On the fabric there are large, abstract gestural marks in black.
Pat Steir, in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia. Calligraphy Screen (cherry tree imagery), 1983. Photo credit: Carlos Avendaño.

Soft/Cover surveys the many surprising ways artists have used fabric and screenprinting to create objects that relate to the body. Focusing on the relationship of textiles to fashion and architecture, the exhibition includes new and rarely-shown works from The Fabric Workshop and Museum’s collection—each created by Artists-in-Residence in collaboration with FWM’s Studio team.   

Founded in 1977, FWM has dedicated nearly five decades to helping artists experiment, often introducing them to textiles and the process of silkscreen on fabric. This creative journey has historically changed the direction of an artist’s practice by emphasizing new materials and techniques.  

Soft/Cover draws inspiration from some of the Workshop’s earliest residencies in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During its first decade, celebrated artists such as Richard Tuttle, Lynda Benglis, Roy Lichtenstein, Vito Acconci, Louise Nevelson and many others benefited from intensive three-week opportunities to explore the possibilities of screenprinting. Artists-in-Residence have created wearable objects from everyday workwear to costumes, suits, dresses, and pants. While their works primarily focused on the body, these artists also expanded beyond garments to design upholstery, bedding, umbrellas, furniture, room dividers, large-scale installations, and even a tent.  

Eight new resident artists were commissioned for this exhibition to further this creative endeavor and actively contribute to FWM’s archive: Julia Chiang, Brendan Fernandes, John Killacky, Aimee Koran, Mildred Beltré Martinez, Borna Sammak, Jenny Walton, and Armando Veve.  The cohort worked closely with FWM’s team of in-house studio artists to create new garments, furniture, shelters, and more. True to the Workshop’s history, the residencies have opened pathways for these artists’ ideas, introducing new materials and forms to their ever-evolving practices.  

Location

The Fabric Workshop and Museum
1214 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

First Floor Gallery | Opens October 2
Eighth Floor Gallery | Opens October 9
Second Floor Gallery | Opens November 14

Plan Your Visit

Included with free admission
Suggested donation of $5

Free Tickets

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Art in This Exhibition


About the Curator

This exhibition is organized by DJ Hellerman, Deputy Director & Senior Curator at moCa Cleveland (formerly FWM’s Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs), and Katy Donoghue, Editor-In-Chief of Whitewall Magazine, in collaboration with the artists and the FWM Studio team.


Support

Major support of FWM is provided by the Marion Boulton “Kippy” Stroud Foundation. FWM receives state art funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support is provided by Agnes Gund and the Board of Directors and Members of The Fabric Workshop and Museum.


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