Art Encounters | Patchwork Play
Artist Emma Balder
Emma Balder, Remains 3, 2021, recycled fabric, wool yarn, graphite, embroidery, ink, acrylic, and thread on canvas, recycled fiberfill, and foam filling. © Emma Balder
Emma Balder, Dynamics 2, 2022, recycled fabric, rope found along Buffalo Bayou, thread, pastel, ink, and acrylic on canvas, recycled fiberfill, and fabric filling. © Emma Balder
Installation view: El Anatsui, Visitation, 2020, found aluminum and copper wire, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum commission funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund. © El Anatsui
Arrivals Hall | Nancy and Rich Kinder Building | Installation View | El Anatsui, Visitation, 2020, found aluminum and copper wire, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum commission funded by the Caroline Wiess Law Accessions Endowment Fund. © El Anatsui
Art Encounters | Patchwork Play
Looking for a new art experience? Drop-in Art Encounters programs, led by artists and inspired by art at the MFAH, focus on creating community. The way you participate is up to you! Take an active role, or simply observe.
This Art Encounters session focuses on creating a large fabric collage, inspired by Emma Balder’s sculptural paintings and El Anatsui’s Visitation. The artists share an interest in transforming discarded materials while addressing consumer culture and environmental concerns.
During tonight’s activity with Balder, you are invited to cut fabric remnants into various shapes. Responding to the collective work’s existing shapes, tie your cut sections to the work with string. The resulting collage displays a patchwork of restored textile waste, connecting each participant’s contribution.
Admission is free. Supplies are provided.
Plan Your Visit
On Thursdays, general admission is free and the Museum is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. This program takes place in the Arrivals Hall on the lower level of the Kinder Building.
Safety Guidelines In the interest of your personal safety and community health, please observe all precautions set forth by the MFAH. Learn more here.
About the Artist
Emma Balder’s work is a confluence of painting and textiles. Through reviving discarded materials, she investigates themes vital to the natural world and humanity: transformation, regeneration, and connection. Her work has been featured in several Houston exhibitions over the past three years.
Learning and Interpretation programs receive generous funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services; Samuel H. Kress Foundation; The Brown Foundation, Inc.; Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; Houston Junior Woman's Club; Sharon G. Dies; Sterling-Turner Foundation; Susan Vaughan Foundation; and additional generous donors.