2024 McKnight Fiber Artist Fellowship Exhibition
Virtual Exhibition
Joan Mondale Gallery + Mary Giles Gallery
January 14 – April 13, 2024
Artist reception: Tuesday, January 21, 5 – 7 pm
Textile Center was proud to present the work of 2024 McKnight Fiber Artist Fellows Amber Jensen and Rick Kagigebi.
Jensen is a weaver, painter, and teacher who combines traditional techniques with her own bespoke improvisations. Jensen’s journey into textiles began nearly two decades ago with the creation of one-of-a-kind backpacks that have since evolved into complex and individual pieces of wearable art. Devoted to her daily art practice, she also creates weavings and paintings embellished with stories and symbols, inspired by nature around her, and the through-line she can trace from ancestors’ blankets to her own work today. Whether people share the same language or not, woven cloth holds history, and her intention is to draw new stories out of each piece she makes.
As a teenager, Kagigebi (Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe) was inspired to make blankets because of Anishinaabe ceremonies his father took him to in Wisconsin and Minnesota. After asking his father to show him how to use his grandmother’s treadle sewing machine, Kagigebi began blanket-making with no prior sewing experience. His first blanket was a queen-sized four-pointed star completed in 1980 to give away at ceremony. Hundreds of blankets followed. His work was limited to ceremony gifts or private commissions until 2018, when he began to publicly exhibit. Work paused for a time in 2021-22 while he dealt with the effects of a mild stroke. Sewing and making have become his primary occupational therapy for recovery. After showing the work at Textile Center, Rick’s exhibit traveled to Gizhiigin Arts Incubator on the White Earth Reservation as part of his fellowship. Read more about this on Textile Center’s Substack.
“Both of our 2024 McKnight Fellows submitted applications that clearly showed commitment to sustained and innovative fiber art practices, with intense focus on storytelling and community connection at the center–in addition to their extensive engagement with the arts ecosystem of Minnesota. We were thrilled to welcome them into the fellowship fold here at Textile Center. In addition, we are thrilled to have been able to partner with Gizhiigin Arts Incubator in Mahnomen, MN to host Rick Kagigebi’s exhibit at White Earth from February 21 to August 21, 2025,” says Tracy Krumm, Textile Center’s Director for Artistic Advancement.
Funding for this program is provided by the McKnight Foundation. Textile Center is honored to be a McKnight Artist & Culture Bearer Fellowships program partner.
In the Gallery
All photos by Rik Sferra, unless otherwise noted.
Amber Jensen's A History of the Heart
I am a weaver, painter, and teacher who combines traditional techniques with bespoke improvisations, drawing new and different stories out of thread and cloth with each piece I make.
My journey into textiles began nearly two decades ago with the creation of one-of-a-kind backpacks that have since evolved into complex and individual pieces of wearable art. Devoted to my daily art practice, I create weavings and paintings embellished with stories and symbols inspired by nature and the through-line traced from ancestors’ blankets to my own work today.
Whether people share the same language or not, woven cloth holds history and is a means of communication. Weaving is a language that’s almost as old as time. It’s been a way to bridge cultural divides, share unique experiences, and learn about one another’s histories. Methodically and patiently, I piece together these traditions that embrace my love of European-American woven coverlet patterns and fine-detailed sampler embroideries. Mixed with my own inventions, techniques, and color choices, everything finds its way as it spills out onto the cloth. The work gains meaning as these pieces are patched together into a new whole.
Acts of reciprocity, cross-cultural sharing of my weaving practice, and learning from others in our shared Minnesota home invigorate my passion for this medium. In creating new work for this exhibition, a commitment to working at the loom each day–slowly and methodically building new cloth from a rainbow of wool yarn on hand–guided the process. Each day brought new feelings and experiences to the loom, and these feelings were journaled directly into the cloth. As I reached the end of a project, unfurling the cloth from the loom and pinning it next to myriad pieces made over the years began an understanding of what it could become. Older pieces found their way into newer pieces, back and forth, until it felt just right.
In essence, the work in all its bits and pieces, is the making of my life.
ambermjensen.com
each heart straining not to break, yet close to breaking open
Wool yarn, roving, wool felt, acid dye
below the surface, ancient and golden, moving together
Wool and cotton yarns, wool felt, acid dye
round and round we spring, rumbling and rambling, surrounded in perfect symmetry
Wool yarn, wool felt
her words first written in blue ink, written in water
Wool and cotton yarns, linen, acid dye, wool felt
A History of the Heart
Collection in the gallery
kingdom of color
Wool and cotton yarns, wool felt
hello, sun in my face
Wool, cotton, and metallic yarns, acid dye
a tender moment of bidding goodnight
Wool and cotton yarns, acid dye
how our lungs breathe in and out
Wool yarn, wool roving, wool felt
let me see the colts, that will run next year
Wool and cotton yarns, wool felt, wool roving, acid dye
we dance in a drape of woven warmth
Wool yarn, wool felt, acid dye
to carry you up on the greater wings
Wool yarn, reed
cradle song
Wool yarn, reed
two roads diverged in a yellow wood
Wool yarn, reed
covered with one age and another
Wool yarn, reed
A History of the Heart
Collection in the gallery
covered with one age or another no. 2
Wool yarn, reed
then let me to the valley go, this pretty flower to see
Wool yarn, reed, acid dye
for they talk and they walk and they run and they play
Wool, cotton, and metallic yarns, reed, acid dye
for the long days of midsummer
Wool yarn, wool felt, acid dye
the tectonics of sand
Wool and cotton yarns, wool felt
let me harvest the strawflowers to get us through the winter
Wool yarn, wool felt, reed, acid dye
like a tiny church, formed in a flower, like a bee
Wool and cotton yarns, wool felt
Rick Kagigebi's Ceremony Blankets
A blanket is a stopped moment in time. I make appliquéd mural blankets where a story is being told as I see it or is conveyed to me. Elements such as direction, movement, time, space, 3D layering, and Ojibwe culture are used. I begin with a single idea, transferring my sketch onto large, taped-together sheets of tag board. I’ll think about a person that the blanket will go to – what can be provided through the blanket in order for this person to have a good life? I translate the story into fabric, thread, and yarn with the aid of HeatnBond, stabilizer, and zig-zag stitching. The design may shift while I’m working, making me wait until I know what changes to make. The blankets don’t define me; they define the people they are made for.
Blankets are a core element in Indigenous cultural life – used both as a robe through the day and to sleep at night. Blankets are shelter, warmth, an expression of generosity, a place of safety. Babies are swaddled and protected in their first blanket. Spouses are wrapped together at a wedding ceremony. Oftentimes, a blanket will be given with tobacco within the ceremonial community as a sign of respect to the spirit helpers who are being called on; and to show one’s personal investment or sacrifice of how much they want healing and a good life.
Within ceremony, blankets are sent out to carry healing to distant communities. Blankets are imbued with medicine and prayers for long, good lives. When we die, we are again wrapped in a blanket as we begin our journey home.
I don’t know anyone else who does what I do. For many years, people have told me that the blankets I’ve made helped them. Many commissioned blankets are personal blankets. People will wrap themselves up in the blanket when they need help.
Why do I do what I do? Because the people are worth doing it for.
Gathering of Many Ways
95″ x 84″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond,
Appliquéd mural blanket
When people of good minds, hearts, and intentions come together,
when people of different talents and gifts come together,
we come together. Strong.
Portal into the Wood
95″ x 84″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond
Appliquéd mural blanket
While guiding a friend into the woods, we came across two young trees, one on each side of the path. As we passed them, I knew we had crossed into another realm.
The Forest Guardian
95″ x 84″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond
Appliquéd mural blanket
She stands at the front gate into the woods. Carrying a thunderbird spear with its ironwood shaft. Helping her is the snapping turtle.
Little Frog Girl: Going to Grandmother’s
56″ x 42″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond, ribbon, button
Appliquéd mural blanket
While sporting her brand-new lily pad umbrella, Little Frog Girl stops by a pond to rest upon a rock. She starts to sing; her kin will soon join in with her.
Little Raven Girl
42″ x 56″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond, ribbon
Appliquéd mural blanket
Her hair all fixed up with ribbons, Little Raven Girl goes out for a stroll with her grandmother and pet turtle.
Lady Thunderbird
93″ x 78″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond
Appliquéd mural blanket
Photo: TJ Turner Pictures
She may look feisty and she is! She is of the thunderbirds. Her long lightning-tipped hair is being whipped up in a whirlwind. Her robe is made of air trimmed with the people of the bear. Four direction colored wisps are caught in the wind. They flow from the four direction scarf. A scarf that tries its best to tame the wilds of Lady Thunderbird’s hair. Good luck with that.
Four Direction Shield
93″ x 78″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond
Appliquéd mural blanket
Photo: TJ Turner Pictures
Picture a bubble, a sphere with you standing in the middle. Directly around you is the glow of the four direction colors (an inner shell). They are warming, relaxing, stress free. In fact, you probably fell asleep already!
Turtle Shield
93″ x 78″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond
Appliquéd mural blanket
Photo: TJ Turner Pictures
A turtle shell with a water flower growing on its back (notice the dew on the end of the petals). There are little baby turtles swimming toward the center of the flower.
Water Woman
93″ x 78″
Fabric, batting, sheets, yarn, thread, Pellon, HeatnBond
Appliquéd mural blanket
Photo: TJ Turner Pictures
A head full of waterfall-ing hair ending in four direction foam at her feet. She wears a water robe and a sea shell hat. Four wisps of hair sprout out from underneath her hat. Each wisp ends in a water droplet.
Press and exhibit links to the 2024 Fellows’ exhibitions
Reluctant elder Rick Kagigebi’s blankets tell stories the Ojibwe way – Minn Post (Rick Kagigebi Feature)
About the McKnight Fellowships for Fiber Artists
Founded on the belief that Minnesota thrives when its artists thrive, the McKnight Foundation’s arts program is one of the oldest and largest of its kind in the country. Support for individual working Minnesota artists has been a cornerstone of the program since it began in 1982. The McKnight Artist Fellowships Program provides annual, unrestricted cash awards to outstanding mid-career Minnesota artists in 15 different creative disciplines. Program partner organizations administer the fellowships and structure them to respond to the unique challenges of different disciplines. Currently the foundation contributes about $2.8 million per year to its statewide fellowships. For more information, visit mcknight.org/artistfellowships.