The legendary AIDS activist and artist Mary Fisher is bringing “Textile Meditations: Mary Fisher and Friends” to the Armory Art Center in West Palm Beach, where it will be the venue’s international textile arts show. The show will feature Fisher’s own work, titled “Words to Silence,” as well as the work of four friends of hers: Jan Beaney and Jean Littlejohn from London, and American artists Jane Dunnewold and Marsha Christo.
Fisher and her fellows will reveal a selection of work that embraces and explores spirituality, “engaging the power of color, shape, size and texture to evoke a spiritual response ranging from struggle to celebration. Drawing inspiration from her activism, Fisher’s art is infused with new textures and layers evoking the beauty of life both visually and spiritually.”
Fisher is known for her art—textiles, weaving, painting, paper making and sculpture—and for her longtime activism, which was kicked off by her historic 1992 speech delivered at the Republican Convention in Houston, about how she had contracted HIV from her husband.
“Mary Fisher is a fascinating and commercially successful artist with great passion, drive, and sensitivity,” says Liza Niles, chief of exhibitions and education at the Armory. “Like Mary, her friends and fellow artists are also accomplished experts, authors and instructors in their fields. It’s exciting to be able to feature a show like this with such a particular diversity of work in textiles.”
“The timing of this show,” Niles continues, “in which the artists explore textile construction from five perspectives, perfectly complements the recent expansion of our fiber department.”
“Textile Meditations: Mary Fisher and Friends” runs January 19 through February 10, with an opening reception on January 19 from 6 to 9 p.m., and artist talks from 7 to 7:45 p.m. Fisher will deliver a keynote on January 20 at 5 p.m.
Additionally, a solo show spotlighting Fisher’s work will be on view at her studio in West Palm Beach through April 2018.
