Juneau – The exhibition, Inheritance: makers. memory. myth. by Anchorage-based artist Amy Meissner will open at the Alaska State Museum this Friday, December 7. The opening reception is sponsored by the Friends of the Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum and will run from 4:30pm – 7:00pm. Following the opening, the artist will give a talk about her work at 7:00pm in the APK lecture hall.
Materfamilias (corner detail), photo by Brian Adams
Artist Amy Meissner explores domesticity and motherhood. She describes herself as a memoirist, whose preferred medium is textiles and preferred language is the stitch. Meissner’s textile art combines traditional handwork and contemporary imagery to explore memory, fragility and the literal, physical and emotional labor of women. The works in this exhibition include contemporary mixed media work created from donated/abandoned/rescued/crowdsourced domestic linens. Meissner describes the inspiration for her exhibition:
The Inheritance Project began in 2015 when a woman sent a box filled with old, hand crafted cloth “to deconstruct” any way I liked. I come from a family of generous and prolific Scandinavian needle women, but this stranger’s act became the catalyst for a multi-year effort to collect unused, unfinished or unwanted vintage linens. Despite asking contributors for associated histories, the majority of makers, origins and timelines still remains unknown. In the spirit of generosity and a resulting catharsis for many, over 70 contributors sent nearly 600 objects, with known origins representing 20 countries and 25 states. The rigorous process of corresponding, documenting and considering each piece of unrestricted cloth informed this current body of work.
Amy Meissner is one of eight artists selected for the Alaska State Museum 2017-2019 Solo Artist Exhibition Series. The exhibit will be up through February 9th, 2019.
Also on display in the temporary galleries: McNeil, Real Indians (and Curtis) curated by Larry Xhe Dhé Tee Harbor Jackson McNeil, an exhibit that pairs McNeil’s photographs with those by Edward Curtis. This exhibition examines the ongoing visual dialogue about the question of what the concept of “Real Indians” is all about.
Winter hours at the Museum are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Discounted winter admission is $7, with those age 18 and under admitted free. An annual pass that allows unlimited visits to the Alaska State Museum and the Sheldon Jackson Museum in Sitka is available for $35. Assistance is available for visitors who have special needs. Please contact visitor services at 465-2901 before the visit.
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