DECEMBER 14, 2024-MARCH 9, 2025
The Clark Art Institute, 225 South Street, Williamstown,
Massachusetts

A recent trip to the Clark Museum in Williamstown, MA, stirred memories that stay with me as I paint.

“Wall Power!”- An exhibition of modern French tapestries, celebrates the remarkable skills of weavers, dyers, and designers. Spanning from the 1940s to the present, the collection offers a sweeping overview of French tapestry trends over the past century. During the dark, cold months of winter, these works fill the gallery with warmth and vibrancy, making the exhibition well worth a visit.

Seeing these tapestries brought me back to my high school years when I studied weaving. Fascinated by textiles, yarns, and handcrafted materials, I explored rug hooking, crochet, and silk painting before shifting my focus to paint in art school.

Standing before these enormous works, I traced the interplay of horizontal and vertical warps and wefts, the layers of interlocking color, and the rich surface quality of wool. These elements resonate with me today as I build my mixed-media paintings—layer by layer—attuned to the shifts of color, texture, and direction. The tactile qualities of encaustic paint, in particular, echo the depth and warmth of textiles.

It was one of those wow moments—when you recognize that a creative life is a continuous accumulation of experiences, each one shaping and informing the work that follows.

Written by Dona Mara Friedman, a member of New England Wax