Lace is the single largest category of objects in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. How do we make sense of this ubiquitous yet enigmatic material? From fine art on the wall to intimate garments on the body, lace surrounds us yet often goes unnoticed. This exhibition investigated the complex historical, cultural, technical, and aesthetic histories of lace, changing the ways visitors understand this strong, delicate, and beautiful material.
This exhibition was on view in the Lynn Mecklenburg Textile Gallery from September 8 – December 5, 2021.
Exhibition Spotlight: Lace from the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection
By Maeve M. Hogan, exhibition curator and PhD Student in Design History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Rather than being driven by a large burning thematic question Lace came together as an exploration of a particular material in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection (HLATC) and is driven by the strength and resources that we have here for research and preservation. Part of the reason I came to study at the University of Madison’s School of Human Ecology was…