Press release for the upcoming solo show jointly presented with Susan Perry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Susan Perry and Susan Lenz open their concurrent art exhibitions: Cascades

Pickens County Museum of Art and History, PICKENS, SOUTH CAROLINA

307 Johnson Street, Pickens, SC

May 16- July 4, 2026

Opening reception: May 16, 2026 from 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Susan Perry and Susan Lenz, two Upstate fiber and installation artists, will present solo shows responding to concepts found in their joint exhibition title, Cascades. The exhibit opens at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History, 307 Johnson Street in Pickens, SC on May 16 with a reception that day from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. Elan DeHaro will take viewers on a musical journey during the reception. The exhibit runs through July 4, 2026. Perry and Lenz will be showing new work that explores traditional and experimental combinations of paper, fabric, and found materials. Both artists create sculpture forms, immersive installations, and incorporate reusable, natural and man-made materials. Yet, their individual approaches are uniquely different.

Susan Perry’s kinetic, kite-like sculptures developed from a contemplative practice of Sumi ink drawings, marbling, and paper-making. Some of these three-dimensional works will be suspended from the ceiling; others will sit below suggesting a stream of conversation. Her collages were inspired by local waterfalls. Susan Lenz’s work also suggests the movement of water. More than one-hundred units of collaged fabrics will meander across three walls as if tracing the route of one of the area’s many creeks. Strips of lace hand-stitched into eight-foot long, plant-life strands will cascade down another wall.

However different, Perry and Lenz’s works compliment one another. Both acknowledge the changing face of land use, the natural world of the Upstate, and how plant/fiber materials connects us to land, lakes, and rivers. The two artists are linked through textiles, something that defines local industry, history and even the very identity of Pickens County. For well over a century, Upstate women saved fabric scraps, buttons, paper, and photographs. These seemingly mundane objects served as reminders of personal stories and special memories. Perry and Lenz are no exceptions to this habit of intuitive collecting. They both use their saved materials in their studio practices. Found objects are featured in both artists’ shows. Perry will use a traditional, wooden apple tree ladder in her area; Lenz has incorporated found objects stitched into tidal wave profiles.

Though Perry’s and Lenz’s work will be presented in two different parts of the second floor museum space, the two have been in regular communication regarding their concept and the progression of their individual presentations. “I think we’ve pushed one another to think broadly about our materials and especially about the way we respond to our chosen theme, Cascades,” says Lenz. Perry agrees, stating, “Throughout this past year, I’ve been inspired to find new ways to use paper to express water as a central feature of our Pickens County landscape.”

The Pickens County Museum of Art and History is open Wednesday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The museum can be reached at (864) 898-5963.

For more information, please contact the artists through their websites:

www.susanlenz.com

www.susanperry.art

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Tidal Wave XVII, Upholstery Cord

(Above:  Tidal Wave XVII.  Donated upholstery cord hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt with layered buttons.  Custom framed:  33" x 33". Click on any image to enlarge.)

Recently I received a most incredible donation of vintage and antique quilts, a big bag of upholstery cording, and several other items.  I was a little overwhelmed and truly awed by the generosity but I had no idea what I might do with the upholstery cord.  I've received similar lengths of expensive trim in the past.  I've generally given it away, mostly to art teachers and school groups.  This time, however, it just didn't feel right (and since moving, I haven't established a good place accepting this sort of material.)

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave XVII.)

I dumped all the cording out onto the floor in order to think about how I might use it.  The colors all seemed to work well together (which isn't really unusual when coming from a single household!  People do seem to decorate with well coordinated colors!)

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XVII.)

Then, I looked at the donated quilts. One seemed perfect for the upholstery cording.  Soon enough, I was pinning the lengths into a tidal wave formation.  Dozens upon dozens of pins were used.  I think there are some still buried in the layering!

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XVII as seen at an angle.)

 

It took days before everything was stitched in place.  I also quilted the background with pale lavender perle cotton thread and added an outline of buttons ... stacked units of three buttons!  I'm really pleased with the result.  It really was a challenge!

 

Tidal Wave XVI, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XVI, a miniature. Custom framed: 12 3/4" x 14 1/4".  Found objects, buttons, and beads hand-stitched to a section of an old quilt made from scraps of men's suits. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Each one of my newly finished, miniature tidal waves presented a challenge.  This one was no different.  I had to figure out how to deal with the very dark background, especially since the original quilt blocks were embellished with a dull red herringbone stitch.

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XVI.)

After stitching all the objects in place, I spent an evening embellishing the background so that my added embroidery coordinated with the red herringbone stitches that were already there!  Since I really love decorative stitching, it was a great way to spend the evening.  It has already inspired the next piece ... another little tidal wave but one that will need plenty of work to handle its bright orange and deep blue, shibori dyed background.  (No!  I didn't dye the fabric!  I just had enough sense to purchase it from a thrift shop where it was priced ridiculously low!  So ... give me a few days, I'll be posting the results soon!)

Tidal Wave XV, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XV, a miniature. Custom framed: 13 1/2" x 17". Found objects, buttons, and beads hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt. Click on any image to enlarge.)

Tidal Wave XV was a unique challenge in color and contrast.  Using just a small scrap from a rather vivid blue-and-white quilt meant finding objects that worked well in the small space and finding balance with the strong background.  Because orange is the compliment to blue, orange was added and much of the embroidery floss used was also bright orange.

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XV.)

Because green is beside blue in the color wheel, it was the other color on which I leaned to create a tiny but balanced composition.  The background was also densely quilted in order to integrate the netting/tulle placed over the quilt but also to visually break up the triangle and blocks into seemingly smaller pieces.  I think it worked out very well!

Tidal Wave XIV, a miniature

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XIV.  Custom framed:  17" x 20 1/4". Found objects, buttons and beads hand-stitched to a piece of an antique floral curtain.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

Miniature tidal waves are a wonderful way to use some of the scraps that result after creating so many Found Object Mandalas and larger Tidal Waves.  For this piece, I used a scrap of a lovely, rose-colored antique curtain that was donated to my stash more than a year ago.  It also was a great way to use the short pieces of picture frame moulding that were leftover from other work.  It is mounted using a stretcher bar made from more short, leftover pieces. In fact, the entire piece was designed after the stretcher bar and frame were built!  If these parts weren't built, they'd likely end up in a landfill.  So ... the challenge to use them was on!

 

(Above:  Detail of Tidal Wave XIV.)

Another challenge involved the Santa profile cookie cutter.  Without other Christmas cookies around, it was a little difficult to figure out what it even was! Yet once I knew it was Santa, I just couldn't throw him out; I had to figure out a way to use him! Surrounded by all sorts of other "stuff" and with two buttons stitched on top of it, Santa works nicely on this piece!

 

(Above: Tidal Wave XIV at an angle.)

Another cool thing about these miniature tidal waves is the fact that I can use buttons in my collection that aren't as plentiful as needed for a larger artwork.  I had just enough of these!

Four, New Miniature Tidal Waves Under Construction and the first one is FINISHED!

 

(Above:  Tidal Wave XIII, a miniature. Custom framed: 17 1/2" x 18 1/2".  Found objects, buttons and beads hand-stitched to a section of a vintage quilt.  Click on any image to enlarge.)

The miniature tidal waves are rolling!  After finishing the first one, I still had quite a few objects in my pile that just didn't find a place for inclusion.  So, I decided to stitch a second.  At the time, I feared that my stash of "little things" wasn't quite large enough for a second piece.  I spent about an hour "hunting and gathering" until I had a large pile of small objects ... enough for perhaps four more miniature tidal waves.

 

 (Above: Four miniature tidal wave outlines on my table ... waiting for small found objects.)

It was easy to locate small scraps of quilts and other vintage fabric for the backgrounds.  I spent an entire evening or two outlining the perimeters and waves with buttons.  Then, I was ready to place my stash ... basically, designing all four at the same time!

 

(Above:  Four miniature tidal waves ... designed and waiting to be stitched.)

It only took one afternoon to make the decisions of which objects went on which tidal wave.  Each piece was taken upstairs. I do most of my hand-stitching in the evenings ... upstairs in the living room while we watch whatever Steve streams on television.

 

(Above: Detail of Tidal Wave XIII.)

It didn't take long for the first of the four to be stitched.  These miniatures allow me to use some of the random beads that I have collected.  Their small size also means that I need to stitch much more densely in the areas where the wave isn't covering the quilt background.  Why?  Well, the scraps are old, fragile, and often threadbare.  Like my Found Object Mandalas and the larger Tidal Waves, I cover the quilt with a layer of netting/tulle before adding any of the objects.  This netting/tulle protects the fragile surface, but on these little ones, it is actually more obvious than on a larger piece.  By stitching/quilting the background, I can integrate the netting/tulle to the quilt. Most people wouldn't even see the netting/tulle after that area is embellished!

(Above:  Tidal Wave XIII at an angle.)