Photo by Shauna Bittle, courtesy of The Evergreen State College
Janice Arnold’s art and installations have been redefining the boundaries of handmade FELT since 1999. The daughter of a cartographer, she learned a global perspective and scale as second sense. Arnold’s virtuosity is evident in the multifaceted character of her work. She creates permanent and temporary installations, and public events, ranging from intricately executed pieces to elaborate environments incorporating her handmade textiles. The textures range from supple and luminous to dense, resilient and complex. Her work honors an ancient tradition yet stretches it to new places with innovation, exploration, quality and scale putting her in a league of her own as an artist and designer. Beyond beauty, her work transfigures spaces in ways that are thought-provoking, ethereal and sensuous. She has shown in several major museums, and her work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Gates Foundation, Nordstrom Corporation, and the Lumber Room Foundation.
The work of Janice Arnold ’78 is currently on display in The Evergreen Gallery, on the main floor of the Library building. The exhibit, “Palace Yurt: Deconstructed,” continues through December 11, 2013. Additionally, the Tacoma News Tribune ran a nice story on Janice Arnold’s exhibit now showing in the Evergreen Gallery.