Untitled (image from Pocketful of Posies), 2010
fabric relief
Courtesy of the Artist
November 14, 2010 – January 23, 2011
IN THE CHILDREN’S GALLERY, 2nd FLOOR OF MUSEUM
Opening Reception Saturday, November 13, 6pm – 8pm
Book Signing Sunday, December 5, 1:30pm
About the Exhibit
The Danforth Museum of Art is pleased to present an exhibition of original fabric reliefs by children’s illustrator Salley Mavor. Forty-five hand-made fabric reliefs from Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes bring to life nursery rhymes that Ms. Mavor remembered from her childhood and read to her own children. Each illustration takes Ms. Mavor approximately one month to complete, and then it is photographed for publication. The School Library Journal calls Pocketful of Posies “an unusual and charming addition to nursery rhyme shelves.” Publishers Weekly declares “Rarely have classic childhood verses been depicted with so much care and detail. […] Mavor’s intricate and colorfully embroidered work of art makes even the best-known childhood poems feel special and new again.”
After exhibition at the Danforth Museum of Art, the original illustrations will travel through 2013 and be shown at the Muscatine Art Center in Muscatine, Iowa, The Brattleboro Museum and Art Center in Brattleboro, Vermont, and The Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, Massachusetts, among other venues.
About the Artist
Salley Mavor grew up in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. As a child she was encouraged to explore art and the creative process by supportive parents. She learned to sew and collage, and developed an interest and dolls and doll houses, as well as an affinity for folk cultures and music throughout the world. A graduate of Syracuse University and the Rhode Island School of Design, Ms. Mavor brought her early interests to illustration classes, developing a unique synthesis of sewing, embroidery, and collage to create fabric reliefs. Her works combine stitching with beads, buttons, trinkets, and found natural objects such as acorn caps and driftwood to create moments that may have several narratives. “I have always liked forming and manipulating small materials with my hands.” says Ms. Mavor. “Working in three dimensions was an exciting way to communicate my ideas.” Ms. Mavor has illustrated twelve children’s books, and her original illustrations have been exhibited at The Art Institute of Chicago, New York Society of Illustrators, and the Norman Rockwell Museum. More information about Ms. Mavor can be found at weefolkstudio.com and weefolk.wordpress.com.