“An embarrassment of riches” is the only phrase apt to describe the summer programming at Mansfield Art Center. In June and July, the gallery will simultaneously host exhibitions by Wadsworth A. Jarrell and Nancy Crow.

Jarrell established himself during the era of Civil Rights and Black Power. His figurative works celebrate Black athletes, jazz music, and African spiritual practices. Earlier this year, Crow was awarded a Master of the Medium award from the James Renwick Alliance, a support arm of the most craft-focused gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. Her quilts transport a medium too often demeaned as kitsch into the avant-garde. Her textile patterns are characterized by primary colors and improvisational, asymmetric patterns. In their celebration of light, color, and irregular forms, they bring to mind Matisse’s late-career paper cutout collages.

Crow’s “free-form” patterns are guided by three complimentary goals: To create beautiful objects, to express the artist’s own emotions, and to explore and play with pure form and color. Describing her practice, Crow has written “[M]y quilts are a means of self-expression, representing my deepest feelings and my life experiences. In addition, my quilts are all about how I see shapes, and how I see lines and linear movements. They are about complexity, sadness, and hope.”

In addition to her own work, Crow has advanced the art of quilting through education and curation. She holds regular classes and workshops, and has taught as far afield as New Zealand. She leads “craft tours” in Africa and South and Central America to expose adventurous students to folk crafting techniques. In 1979, Crow helped found Quilt National, a juried biennial exhibition of contemporary quilt artistry. She has curated two exhibitions titled Color Improvisations which toured the United States and Europe.

While becoming a prominent figure in the fiber art world, Crow has retained a lifelong commitment to Central Ohio. In 1943, Crow was born in Loudonville, and earned two degrees from The Ohio State University. She currently lives and works on a farm near Baltimore, Ohio, about 35 minutes east of Columbus.

Crow and Jarrell’s exhibits will run from June 22 to July 21 at the Mansfield Art Center. An opening reception will be held Sunday, June 23, from 3:00 to 5:00pm. The Art Center is located at 700 Marion Avenue, Mansfield. For more information, please call 419.756.1700 or go to mansfieldartcenter.org.

Mansfield Art Center

700 Marion Avenue

Mansfield, Ohio 44906

mansfieldartcenter.org