GUARDIAN THREADS
Barcelona Room
March 28, 2025 - May 17, 2025
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.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, March 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
GUARDIAN THREADS
Barcelona Room
March 28, 2025 - May 17, 2025
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.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, March 28 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
Helen Geglio is an artist and art educator living in South Bend, Indiana. Originally from Michigan, she received her BFA in studio art from the University of Michigan and holds an MS in education from Indiana University. In her work as an artist, she creates hand stitched fiber artworks and has been represented in local, regional and national exhibits. Her work has been selected for Quilt National, Art Quilt Elements, Fantastic Fibers, Quilts=Art=Quilts, Artist as Quiltmaker, and Visions: Interpretations. Helen regularly exhibits with SAQA Global Exhibitions, and the Surface Design Association and she is a long-time member of Woman Made Gallery and the Women’s Caucus for Art.
“The lives of women, and how we are connected to textiles, is what interests me as an artist. I collect worn clothing, domestic linens and sewing scraps, and then I construct meaning from these pieces of cloth. I enjoy the process of working with materials that have passed through other hands, and I look for a story, maybe a snapshot of a moment, to open a visual narrative. The idea of women’s work is a recurring theme in my art, so I use hand stitching and embroidery to hold the pieces together, to bind the layers and gather the textile detritus of the everyday into a new whole. The work I do, and the way of working that I value, is slow and mindful. In the end, I want to create an insightful visual image, one that invites viewers to look closely and make connections to their own stories.”
Anders Zanichkowsky makes art about grief, desire, and our longing for another world. Burial Blankets is their creative practice and small business where they make handwoven burial shrouds meant for use, enjoyment, and reflection during life. They work with people on a custom design using all-natural fibers that are suitable for any kind of disposition, including green burial options; in the meantime, these heirloom quality blankets can be used any way you imagine in your home or spiritual practice. Recipients are invited to come weave a portion themselves and parts of the cloth can serve as mementos for loved ones. Anders came to this work after years of research on burial art, death and dying, and the craft of weaving. They have also been an artist-in-residence with The Arctic Circle sailing expedition in Svalbard, Røst AiR in Sápmi/Norway, and the Chicago Park District's Cultural Asset Mapping Project. Their work has been exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Australia, including the Wisconsin Film Festival, and been awarded an Individual Artist Grant from DCASE and a SPARK grant from Chicago Artist Coalition. Anders has an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2019) and a BA from Hampshire College (2008).
Helen Geglio is an artist and art educator living in South Bend, Indiana. Originally from Michigan, she received her BFA in studio art from the University of Michigan and holds an MS in education from Indiana University. In her work as an artist, she creates hand stitched fiber artworks and has been represented in local, regional and national exhibits. Her work has been selected for Quilt National, Art Quilt Elements, Fantastic Fibers, Quilts=Art=Quilts, Artist as Quiltmaker, and Visions: Interpretations. Helen regularly exhibits with SAQA Global Exhibitions, and the Surface Design Association and she is a long-time member of Woman Made Gallery and the Women’s Caucus for Art.
“The lives of women, and how we are connected to textiles, is what interests me as an artist. I collect worn clothing, domestic linens and sewing scraps, and then I construct meaning from these pieces of cloth. I enjoy the process of working with materials that have passed through other hands, and I look for a story, maybe a snapshot of a moment, to open a visual narrative. The idea of women’s work is a recurring theme in my art, so I use hand stitching and embroidery to hold the pieces together, to bind the layers and gather the textile detritus of the everyday into a new whole. The work I do, and the way of working that I value, is slow and mindful. In the end, I want to create an insightful visual image, one that invites viewers to look closely and make connections to their own stories.”
Anders Zanichkowsky makes art about grief, desire, and our longing for another world. Burial Blankets is their creative practice and small business where they make handwoven burial shrouds meant for use, enjoyment, and reflection during life. They work with people on a custom design using all-natural fibers that are suitable for any kind of disposition, including green burial options; in the meantime, these heirloom quality blankets can be used any way you imagine in your home or spiritual practice. Recipients are invited to come weave a portion themselves and parts of the cloth can serve as mementos for loved ones. Anders came to this work after years of research on burial art, death and dying, and the craft of weaving. They have also been an artist-in-residence with The Arctic Circle sailing expedition in Svalbard, Røst AiR in Sápmi/Norway, and the Chicago Park District's Cultural Asset Mapping Project. Their work has been exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Australia, including the Wisconsin Film Festival, and been awarded an Individual Artist Grant from DCASE and a SPARK grant from Chicago Artist Coalition. Anders has an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2019) and a BA from Hampshire College (2008).
