Attend the Opening Reception for Helen Geglio and Anders Zanichkowsky’s exhibit GUARDIAN THREADS on Friday, March 28, from 6:00-9:00pm.

Guardian Threads brings together the evocative works of Helen Geglio and Anders Zanichkowsky, highlighting deep themes of comfort, protection, and peace woven into their textiles to mark the passage of time. 

A selection of work from Helen Geglio's various textile series delve into narratives of memory, motherhood, and resilience, using repurposed materials to craft intricate pieces that protect and honor life journeys and the stories of women. Her Amulet Bundles are meditations on motherhood. Worries and fears for our children are bundled up and tied, held tightly inside protective layers of cloth. Anxiety Shields ward off the circular thoughts of sleepless nights when the world seems on end. Geglio’s Wisdom Cloaks pay tribute to the accumulated knowledge, experience and maturity of women, while honoring the resilience and wisdom of women through the ages.

Anders Zanichkowsky's burial blankets offer a distinctive sense of comfort and peace. Long before they’re used as a burial shroud, these memento mori are meant to serve as a blanket, bedspread, wall hanging, altar piece, or shawl that gathers the essence of personal memories over time. The handwoven shrouds, crafted from natural fibers, then provide a gentle, protective cocoon that honors the departed while supporting eco-friendly burial practices. As these blankets transition from everyday use to their final, sacred purpose, they embody a seamless journey from life to death, offering profound solace and tranquility to both the living and the departed.

Together, within Epiphany Center for the Arts’ most intimate gallery, Geglio and Zanichkowsky’s works invite viewers to reflect on the comforting and protective qualities of textiles, the peace they bring both in life and death, and the enduring legacies woven into the fabric of our lives.