“Soft/Cover” (installation view), The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia. Photo credit: Carlos Avendaño.
The Art Museum of WVU invites the community to the opening reception for the spring
2026 exhibits, “Soft/Cover” and “Material Matters,” on Friday, Jan. 30, from
5-7 p.m.
“Soft/Cover” surveys the many surprising ways artists have used fabric and screen-printing to create objects that relate to the body. Focusing on the relationship of textiles to fashion and architecture, the exhibition includes new and rarely-shown works from The Fabric Workshop and Museum’s collection—each created by Artists-in-Residence in collaboration with FWM’s Studio team.
The premise of “Soft/Cover” stems from an investigation into some of the Workshop’s earliest residencies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when celebrated artists such as Richard Tuttle, Lynda Benglis, Roy Lichtenstein, Vito Acconci, Louise Nevelson and many others, benefited from intensive, three-week opportunities to explore the possibilities of screenprinting.
Eight new resident artists were commissioned for this exhibition: Julia Chiang, Brendan Fernandes, John Killacky, Aimee Koran, Mildred Beltré Martinez, Borna Sammak, Jenny Walton and Armando Veve. The cohort worked closely with FWM’s team of in-house studio artists to create new garments, furniture, shelters and more.
“Bringing ‘Soft/Cover’ here to the Art Museum of WVU is such an important programming step for us. Not only is this the first time we have had a fashion-related exhibition, but it also positions the museum as a resource for faculty and students in a variety of disciplines and brings a relatable experience and subject to our immediate and broader West Virginia communities,” said Aaron Garvey, Director of the Art Museum of WVU.
This exhibition is organized by DJ Hellerman, Deputy Director and Senior Curator at MoCa Cleveland (formerly FWM’s Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs), and Katy Donoghue, Editor-In-Chief of Whitewall Magazine, in collaboration with the artists and the FWM Studio team.
“Soft/Cover” was made possible through the generous support of the Jean J. and Laurence S. DeLynn Foundation.
“Material Matters” centers on the premise of the shared heritage of Africa and the African-diaspora; purpose and message come first. Those aims guide the choice of materials selected for their physical traits and for what they signal in a community. From these choices, form follows. Whether woven, welded, stitched, carved, painted, or printed, matter becomes a language for survival, memory, devotion, protest and repair.
The galleries are organized by what materials do: cloth can warm, protect, or signal status; wood must balance on a moving body; metal endures as jewelry or emblems of rank; found objects combine into powerful assemblies. Across the exhibition, visitors will see the path Meaning & Use → Materials → Form → Activation, as works come alive in body, spirit, community and history. From the closeness of a quilt to the gleam of worked metal, each object speaks through its substance and the lives that use it.
“Material Matters” was curated by Angela Uriyo, Assistant Professor of Fashion Design and Merchandising in the School of Art and Design.
Uriyo was awarded the 2026 Art Museum of WVU Faculty Fellowship, and she worked with museum staff to create an exhibition of 30-50 items chosen from more than 5,000 objects at the museum. The exhibit integrates themes and concepts from Uriyo’s teachings and research, presenting them through a thoughtful display of objects in the Art Museum’s permanent collection.
“Visitors to this exhibit will see how materials like fiber, wood, metal and everyday objects connect people across time and place,” said Uriyo. “The works show how making, fixing and reusing materials can carry stories, memories and cultural traditions. Ultimately, ‘Material Matters’ invites you to see the way materials and practice connect people, history and shared experiences.”
The Art Museum opening reception on Jan. 30 is free and open to the public. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Beginning on Jan. 31, the museum will be open 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission is always free.
The museum will also offer events related to the exhibitions throughout the spring, including:
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Lunchtime Looks with Kendyl Bostic on Feb. 6
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Starlight Soiree, a formal event for current WVU students, also on Feb. 6
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Once Upon a Time at the Art Museum, a family-friendly event, on Feb. 8
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Upcycling at the Art Museum on Feb. 27
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L
unchtime Looks with Angela Uriyo on March 6
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Quilting Memories at the Art Museum on Feb. 28
For more information about exhibits and events, visit https://artmuseum.wvu.edu and follow the Art Musuem of WVU on social media @artmuseumofwvu.