By Payne Austin

Mended is a collection of multimedia works that explore emotional suffering, corporeal pain and issues surrounding mortality and loss, curator Cynthia Nourse Thompson said.

Each piece tells a story of transformation that captures the way these artists have processed pain. Their work is a physical depiction of how they’ve pieced themselves back together. Whether through hand-stitching, embroidery, ceramic or canvas, the exhibit presents a wide range of materials and methods that mirror the messy, nonlinear nature of the healing journey.

The deeply personal elements the Mended artists infused into their work provoke thought and encourage empathy. The chosen materials, lace passed down from grandmothers, worn fabric and intricate textiles, symbolize the connections individuals carry through time and generations. No two healing stories are the same and the artwork reflects this raw, intimate and yet, universally understood process. 

Among the featured artists, Patricia Miranda stands out for her piece, “Lamentations for a Reasoned History,” made from lace donations received through her project, The Lace Archive.

The Lace Archive began with Miranda’s own connection to the lace passed down from her grandmothers. As she dyed these pieces and shared the process on social media, strangers started sending her unsolicited textile donations including lace, linens, skirts, aprons, handkerchiefs and tablecloths—each with their own family history attached.

Through this collection, Miranda reclaims the labor and love behind these textiles, turning what were once considered “grandma’s doilies” into large-scale works that challenge traditional notions of art and craftsmanship.

“My response to the machismo of big installations is through a soft object,” Miranda explains. “In their exaggerated scale and insistent tenderness, the works are feminist manifestos of softness.”

Her work embodies the idea that mending is not just about repair, but about honoring and reimagining the past. Each thread, each knot and each piece of fabric carries a history of care, labor and love.

Mended is more than an art exhibit; it is an invitation to reflect on our own experiences with loss, resilience and renewal. Through the universal themes of grief, trauma and repair, the exhibition encourages viewers to engage deeply with the intricate ways we piece ourselves back together.

“I am honored to serve as the curator of Mended,” says Thompson. “(This exhibit is)…relevant to our communities in its concerns of collective trauma, healing, and grief, (which have been experienced) universally over the past several years.”

Mended reminds us that art, like healing, is both delicate and powerful. Just as a ripped seam can be stitched back together, our stories, no matter how fragmented, can find new life through art, memory and care.

If you’re looking for an exhibit that is both visually stunning and emotionally profound, Mended is not to be missed.

Featured Image “Lamentations of a Reasoned History” by Patricia Miranda