Clan garments featured in “Second Skin” exhibit at Nevada Arts Council’s OXS Gallery
February 2, 2015
Sarah Lillegard works in what she calls second skin. The Reno artist featured in the latest show at the Office eXhibition Series Gallery works in fabrics that explore group identity, belonging and symbols, in garments sometimes called clan jackets. The attire is said to communicate meaning, cultural legacies and myths. The OXS exhibit “Second Skin” is free at the Nevada Arts Council, 716 N. Carson St., in Carson City, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 17. Lillegard will discuss her work at a public reception from 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18, with an artist talk at 6:15.
“Clothing bears the mark of its owner,” Lillegard said. “Over time, the conscious and unconscious moments make themselves known through holes and frayed edges. Through these processes, the garments often become more than passive objects. As much as belonging comes from identifying within a group, it also comes from imbedding personal histories into a greater storyline.”
Lillegard is a mixed-media artist whose work draws on the traditions of handcrafts and western icons. She comes from a family of quilters and craftsmen and her process relies heavily on touch. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from Walla Walla University in College Place, WA, before coming to Nevada. Working in the Reno arts community, she co-founded the Go for Broke Zine Collective and published a DIY Guide to Reno. She is the former director of the Holland Project Gallery. In addition to working in fiber arts, Lillegard is also a zine maker, writer, curator and graphic designer. Her work has been exhibited throughout the northwest. She was recently awarded a Nevada Arts Council 2015 Artist Fellowship Award in visual arts.
For more information or to purchase her work, visit http://thriveandthicken.com.
Managed by NAC’s Artist Services Program, the Office eXhibition Series Gallery features artists who have been recognized by the agency through its artist fellowships and exhibits from the agency’s Nevada Touring Initiative-Traveling Exhibition Program.
Photo cutline: Ain’t Got No Home, salvaged jacket, denim, 120” x 72” x 12” 2014