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KENT, OH– The 5X���� Museum is pleased to announce its fall exhibition, “On My Mind: CONSTRUCTIONS/RIFFS/DRAWINGS/MONOPRINTS,” a solo exhibition by Ohio-based artist Nancy Crow, a pioneer in contemporary quiltmaking.

Consistent with the 5X���� Museum’s mission to exhibit exceptional textile art, the exhibition includes more than 30 large-scale works by Crow.

“We are thrilled to showcase Nancy Crow’s work in the museum and confident it will inspire textile artists and quiltmakers of all ages,” said Sarah Spinner Liska, Ph.D., director of the 5X���� Museum.

Crow has been internationally recognized in contemporary quiltmaking and fiber arts since the 1970s. She continues to develop innovative techniques that provide a range of expressive imagery. Crow lives and works near Baltimore, Ohio, where she has established an active teaching workshop and studio.  

“Nancy Crow has been committed throughout her career to demonstrating that quiltmaking is an art form that should be considered on the same level as painting or sculpture. Her techniques are masterful, and the color and rhythm of the works is daring and engrossing,” said Sara Hume, Ph.D., professor and museum curator, who has organized the exhibition.

Presenting 30 large-scale works in the museum’s Broadbent Gallery, the exhibition presents a retrospective of the last two decades of Crow’s work, providing an opportunity for reflection on her life’s artistry. Having lived on a farm for over 40 years, owning first 100 acres and now 218 acres, she has borne witness to ongoing change through human-caused destruction, watching how nature struggles to survive. She has seen the rapid disappearance of historic timber frame barns and the intrusion of railroads, roads and housing into the land once held as farms. On the other hand, she has watched growth and regeneration in her fields as well as the majesty of the trees and crops.

The four series of works included in the exhibition draw from her perspective in rural Ohio. For instance, RIFFS are about railroads, roads and housing developments with track homes that are increasingly encroaching on farm land. DRAWINGS are influenced by observations of fields, and MONOPRINTS are drawings based on reflections on trees and their intersecting branches.

“My quilts tell stories, but I prefer each speaks for itself with no explanation while expressing profound figure/ground tension as part of its energy,” Crow explained.

The exhibition is curated by Hume and will be open to the public Sept. 6 through Dec. 15, 2024. A public opening reception and artist talk will be held at 5 p.m. on Sept. 5 at the museum.

This exhibition is supported by Linda L. McDonald, Ph.D., and Pat Brownell in honor of Logan Brownell. The 5X���� Museum receives generous operating support through a sustainability grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

ABOUT THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM

The 5X���� Museum holds 30,000 objects of fashion, textile and design. The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children ages 5 to 18. The museum is free for children under 5 and for those with a Kent State ID. Sunday admission is free for all ages. Parking is free for all museum attendees. Patrons should use the allotted museum spaces in the Rockwell Hall parking lot. For more information, please call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum. 

Header image credits:
Details of DRAWING #2, 2022-2023 © Nancy Crow; Headshot of Nancy Crow; DRAWING: RIFF #8, 2018 © Nancy Crow

Media Contact: 
Jen Crabtree, jcrabt13@kent.edu