ARTIST: Susan Lenz

Once and Again: Alterations by Susan Lenz is an exhibit of vintage textiles and objects altered by the artist for contemporary expression. Included are a selection of Found Object Mandalas and three collections of altered Sun Bonnet Sue quilt blocks featuring hand embroidered calls-for-action focusing on environmental and feminist issues. The Clothesline is an installation of textiles onto which found fabric handprints are stitched. This installation promotes energy conservation and other common sense reasons to line-dry textiles. Other altered works include CRAZY (In the Millennium Age), Second Marriage, My Bluegrass Roots, Oswald Home Laundry, and a collection of altered cross stitches. Also included in this exhibition is a selection of Lenz’s newest Series, Found Object Mandalas. In each piece, Lenz uses a familiar object in an unexpected way to voice current ideas and social concerns. Her hands-on approach bids viewers to pause for reflection, whether the topic is their own precious antique possessions, environmental issues, or their reliance on mechanical conveniences.