Bio

Jill Snyder Wallace, Guest Curator, at reception for “In and Out of Context: Textile Arts”

Jill Snyder Wallace, of Carrabassett Valley, Maine, creates intriguing, mixed-media embroideries and textile-inspired assemblages. Trained in both graphic design and studio arts, her fiber art creations live comfortably in both the craft and art worlds and have been exhibited throughout New England and beyond. As gallery coordinator for a New Hampshire, state-wide, crafts organization, her eyes were opened to the art of the hand. A love of history nurtured by employment at a Maine historical society peaked her interest in material culture and the stories objects tell. A desire to learn and to experiment with new techniques continues to be fueled by membership in the Southern Maine Chapter of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America, where workshops and skills are generously shared.

An affinity for the aesthetics of the Victorian era continues to be relevant to Snyder Wallace. Assemblages, incorporating vintage textiles and objects, become worthy of both contemplation and interpretation. Her wall-mounted and freestanding, mixed-media, fiber art is intricate in design and intimate in scale pulling the viewer in to make their own associations.

Communicating a thought, question or emotion is a primary focus. The content or language of her work is fueled by life experiences. Snyder Wallace states, “This labor of love medium enables me to explore and to comment on history, as well as to digest contemporary experiences and to express personal emotion.”