ART BY THE YARD: A FABULOUS EXHIBIT AT THE TEXTILE MUSEUM THIS SUMMER

Through September 12th, I encourage anyone who loves modern cultural history, stories of female empowerment or just beautiful design to check out this exhibit. Here are the highlights, but seeing the textiles in person is a real treat. Focusing on the contributions of female designers to Britain’s textile industry in the years following World War II, the exhibit provides a window onto the cultural landscape in that era. After years of privation due to the war and economic hardship, England entered into the 1950s with a great deal of optimism and was fortunate that in the realm of design, a new generation of innovators waited for the opportunity to express fresh perspectives. On display are the works of Lucienne Day, Marian Mahler and Jacqueline Groag, all women whose careers coincided with and defined style in the mid-century. Greeting visitors at the entrance is ’Calyx’, the first textile design that was to bring Day real recognition in 1951. An abstract piece in unique colors, suggesting anything from tulip blooms to martini glasses, at once grounded and weightless, this is clearly at the heart of graphic design to follow. Drawing their inspirations from painters and sculptures of the era, these women created a bridge through fabrics that linked contemporary art and architecture to home design. To get a glimpse online, visit www.textilemuseum.org/exhibitions/current/Art-by-the-Yard.htm