Exploring the Soft Power of Fiber: The Art of Stephanie Metz
Needle Felting: A Sculptural Approach at Willow Pond- August 15 - 18 with Stephanie Metz
Never underestimate SOFT POWER
Set for 4 glorious days in August, this workshop at Willow Pond is perfect for those eager to dive deep into form and structure. Get ready to create and play as you leave with some fabulous small samples and a treasure trove of new ideas! Stephanie brings her unique flair to this workshop, encouraging you to think outside the box and push your projects to new heights.
"I work primarily in wool and industrial felt, humble materials that embody physical and conceptual contradictions. I process my life through the act of transforming tangible materials into satisfying forms, which occasionally resonate with kindred spirits. I define myself as a sculptor first and foremost who happens to work primarily in fiber, but I’m not opposed to the label of ‘fiber artist’. -Metz
Stephanie Metz, a talented California artist, brings her unique vision to this workshop. She crafts intriguing sculptures using wool that are both beautiful and confronting. Her “wool drawings” and fiber sculptures involve hand stitching thick felt and repetitively needle felting wool into solid forms. Ranging from small, intimate pieces to large, striking works, her creations reflect a wonderful mix of soft and edgy—playful yet complex.
About the Artist
Stephanie Metz is an American artist born in 1976 and holds a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Oregon; she lives with her techie husband and two sons in San Jose, California, where she works from a studio at The Alameda Artworksdowntown. She has been featured in publications including San Jose's Content Magazine, Adobe Inspire Magazine, American Craft, and 500 Felt Objects. Her work has been included in the Rijswijk Textile Biennial in the Netherlands as well as Sculptural Felt International and Black Sheep, touring exhibitions that visited Europe and Australia. Her notable group exhibitions include FiberArt International at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and the Museum of Quilts and Textiles in San Jose, Formex Stockholm 2008 in Sweden, and Transmission: Experience at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, Singapore. In 2015 she was honored as an Artist Laureate by Silicon Valley Creates, and she is a recipient of a mysterious and wonderful Belle Foundation for Cultural Development grant as well as two Center for Cultural Innovation grants and an Honorable Mention for the International Sculpture Center’s Innovator Award.
Stephanie’s recent solo exhibition at the Triton Museum, Santa Clarita, California, featured a series of evocative fiber sculptures that explore themes of soft power, aesthetic perception, and the paradoxes of female life through the use of wool felt, body-like forms and the color pink.
Her Fall 2024 exhibition “ In Touch” ran most recently from Sep 13 - Jan 26, 2024, at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum. In Touch consisted of two groupings of fiber sculptures that invited physical touch by viewers. White cocoon-like ‘Hanging Pods’ and grey and tan organic ‘Holdable’ floor sculptures each offer intriguing opportunities for connection with the art—and with other viewers.
