JUN 7, 2023 - NOV 26, 2023
Barbara G. Haines is a Hungarian-born artisan who has lived and worked as a professional ballerina for fifteen years. She received her classical ballet diploma from the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest and recently graduated with a professional award diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance in London. Haines currently teaches as an adjunct professor of dance at the Alabama School of the Arts, with a focus on classical ballet, early tribal dance history, and musical theater choreography. It is her diverse background and the love of studying ancient folk mythology that has allowed Haines to evolve and pursue a path in hand-made wool felt, combining traditional felting techniques within cultural contexts.
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Creating felt from wool involves water and energy. The artist uses her hands to manipulate the material, which allows the water to change the very character of the substance. Water is flowing, reflective and adaptive. As much as water can be soothing, it can also be unpredictable. This element of surprise is one of the qualities of wool that the artist appreciates most in the process of making felt.
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Blosme is a series dedicated to finding freedom and fluidity within stillness through visual reductions. Each piece is handmade and dyed by the artist in her studio. The works are interpretations of actual flowers from the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, one of the largest intact and biodiverse wetland ecosystems in the South. Haines uses recycled water from the wetlands in her art practice, imbuing each piece with the spirit of this ancient landscape. Through her work, Haines hopes to bring awareness of environmental concerns and systemic issues of habitat loss.
Exhibition schedule presented by