Art Before Dishes

Exhibit dates: September 23rd – November 5, 2022  

Opening reception: September 23, 5:00 – 8:00PM

Location: Gallery 1056

Art Before Dishes (2022) is comprised of work mixing various fiber art techniques including punch needle, sewing, embroidery, and rug tufting. The artist, Daisy McClellan, is a mother of three young boys and her work often reflects the stage of motherhood she finds herself in: colorful, all encompassing, and always with a sense of nostalgia for what once was. 

 

More often than not, even in these modern times, home life is thought of as a female domain. Not only are women typically the ones who decorate the home, they are also incharge of maintaining order: taking on the majority of cleaning and organization for the household. Art Before Dishes, is an internal mantra for the artist who uses it as a daily reminder to take time for herself and her art because with the never ending responsibilities of home life thrust upon wives and mothers, it can be a struggle to do so. These works are inspired by women who make art for their walls but aren’t thought of as “real” artists or ever given any accolades despite their often self taught and deeply technical skills. The pieces seen here are made using methods commonly thought of as traditional women’s crafts but are frequently not appreciated as fine art. At its heart this show is an homage to artists who are also caretakers, how their practices change deeply when a new life stage begins, and how we can perhaps put art before dishes once the kids lay down their heads for the night.

 
Bio
 

Daisy McClellan is Redux studio artist, with a specialty in fiber art, residing in Charleston, SC with her husband and 3 young sons. Combining punch needle with sewing and natural dying she makes wearable objects like bright cardigans and bags as well as items for the home like plant holders and heirloom stuffed animals and baby teethers. She sells her work as well as DIY punch needle kits on her website, in museums and at juried art fairs. In addition to creating she offers her expertise as a maker teaching workshops ranging from punch needle to candle making to indigo dying in museums, galleries, camps and retreats around the country. Most recently she completed an artist in residency program at the Gibbes Museum of Art and exhibited her first solo show there.

Prior to life in Charleston, Daisy opened gather, a brick and mortar retail shop in San Francisco where she featured over 200 artists and hosted both public and private creative workshops. Some of her largest events were in the form of team building workshops with companies like Etsy, Pinterest, Zen Desk and Nerd Wallet. In addition, Daisy designed a clothing collection for women and young children, founded a bi-annual shopping market for local boutiques, and worked with several artists on joint collaborations.

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