MANCHESTER, VT.- Southern Vermont Arts Center will host two exhibitions in the Elizabeth de C. Wilson Museum opening on July1 The US exhibition premiere of The Red Dress and Frippery, Finery, Frills: Works in Conversation by Barbara Ishikura and Sam Fields On view from Saturday, July 1 through Sunday, September 24, 2023.

The Red Dress: Conceived by British artist Kirstie Macleod, The Red Dress project provides an artistic platform for women around the world, many of whom are vulnerable and live in poverty, to tell their personal stories through embroidery. For fourteen years, pieces of the Red Dress traveled the globe being continuously embroidered onto. Constructed out of 88 pieces of burgundy silk dupion, the garment has been worked on by 366 women/girls, 7 men/boys and 2 non-binary artists from 51 countries. SVAC’s exhibition includes a special audio experience, narrated by Kirstie Macleod, describing the evolution of the project over more than a decade. In addition, community members were invited to stitch their stories onto a white calico dress, commissioned by SVAC to be a part of the exhibition.

Frippery, Finery, Frills: Works in Conversation by Barbara Ishikura and Sam Fields:
Drawing from historicized images of women in art, fiction, and our collective imagination, Barbara Ishikura and Sam Fields explore intimacy through imagery, process, and materials. Sam Fields is a multimedia artist who creates intricate, layered sculptures. In her work, crocheted ruffle upon ruffle, beads, sequins, lace, and embroidery elevate what has been traditionally considered low brow in western society. In her paintings, Barbara Ishikura depicts women who display their unabashed sexuality and crass pleasures. Their presence within beautiful and refined interior spaces creates tension.

Both artists reclaim a visual language traditionally associated with the feminine, giving form and color to domestic objects and intimate spaces in order to expand what women’s sexuality means and looks like.

In conjunction with these exhibitions, the following programs are planned:

Frippery, Finery, Fills Artist Talk Saturday, July 1; 1 p.m.–2 p.m.

Dress:Undress Opening Reception Saturday, July 1; 2 p.m.–4 p.m.

The Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) is a multidisciplinary arts organization in Manchester, VT with a mission to promote and nurture the arts. SVAC strives to provide opportunities for local and regional artists, to introduce the wider community to artwork and performances of national relevance, and to engage diverse audiences.

Southern Vermont Arts Center
The Red Dress
Frippery, Finery, Frills
July 1st, 2023 - September 24th, 2023