24 Mar Augusta Intertwined in the Augusta & CO. Gallery
Join the Greater Augusta Arts Council, Desination Augusta and Augusta & Co. in celebrating Augusta’s rich history with textiles in Augusta Intertwined. A group exhibition featuring local fiber artists Makenzye Barfield, Mary Fly, Jennifer Monroe, Krystal Kay Lyon, Heather René Dunaway, and Genevieve Lucas.
Fiber art, also known as textile art, is a type of fine art that uses natural or synthetic fibers to create decorative artworks. Augusta’s River Region once stood as a major supplier in the textile industry, with cotton mills lining our scenic canal. A legacy of textile work that echoes to this day, through preservation efforts on both sides of the Savannah River. Today, local artists use fiber and fabric to create stunning works of art.
Augusta Intertwined will be on view in the Augusta & Co. Gallery at 1010 Broad St. Augusta, GA 30901 from March 27 – June 26, 2025 with a reception Friday, April 25th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. This exhibition will honor the legacy of Augusta’s textile industry and its workers through visual art of the same element – FIBER. Augusta’s diverse and intertwined histories with textiles only add to the uniquely woven tapestry that makes our community great.
About the Gallery:
The Augusta & Co Gallery is located within the innovative visitor’s center and retail experience, Augusta and Company at 1010 Broad Street.
The Greater Augusta Arts Council, in partnership with Visit Augusta and Augusta & Co. staff invites both the “company” of fellow Augustans, or that of visiting friends and family, to experience the authentic flavors of Augusta through its rotating locals only art gallery.
The works seen in this space are created by Augusta River Region based artists or artists who call Augusta home. This gallery hosts many forms of visual artwork, from paintings to photography to sculpture.
Open Mon – Sat 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Closed on Sunday
About the Artists:
Makenzye Barfield is a South Carolina native and fiber artist. Now residing in Aiken, she grew up in a rural environment surrounded by tightly woven family and friends. A self-starter and curious child, Barfield’s first artistic language was sewing and crochet taught to her by her Great Grandmother Swygert. Little did she know that those techniques would open a world of creative exploration and discovery. In 2009 Barfield was accepted into the Savannah College of Art and Design where she would later graduate with her BFA in Fibers. During that time she experimented with a wide range of fiber techniques, namely, weaving. It was with the creation of her first woven piece that she experienced the magic of weaving. Knowing the power of needle and thread from her Grandmother she would discover that weaving was a long held practice by her maternal Great Granddaddy and Grandfather. Through weaving, spinning, natural dyes and more Barfield reconnects to her roots and blossoms toward a legacy of connection and expression.
Mary Fly is a fiber artists based in North Augusta, SC. She works predominantly in tufted rugs, creating colorful, abstract works that are both visually stunning and functional. She is inspired by geometry, and naturally occurring symmetry and designs.
Jennifer Monroe uses quilting cotton, linen, rayon, and knit jersey fabrics in projects like quilts, pouches, and pillows, often incorporating fabric scraps to reduce waste. Techniques include collage, straight-line, echo, and free-motion quilting, which add organic design and movement. She also uses Foundation Paper Piecing and English Paper Piecing to maximize fabric use. These methods help Jennifer to create sustainable, unique projects that reflect my personal style and commitment to minimizing waste.
Krystal Kay Lyon is an artist currently working in textiles and recycled materials. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Augusta State University in Augusta, Georgia.. She worked as the Education Coordinator for the McLean County Arts Center in Bloomington, IL from 2020-2023. Her work has been shown in Bloomington, Champaign-Urbana, Pontiac, Batavia, Illinois and Graniteville, South Carolina. Her fiber work is greatly influenced by artists Judith Scott, the quilters of Geez Bend Alabama, Nick Cave, and Appalachian Folk Art. She currently serves as the Education & Social Media Coordinator for the Augusta Museum of History in her hometown of Augusta.
Heather René Dunaway is a mixed-media artist based in Augusta, GA. Her work often incorporates found nostalgic materials, including inherited materials from her Grandmother’s quilting collection, as well as cyanotype photographic re-prints of family photos, paper collage and painting. In 2020, Dunaway committed herself to teaching herself how to sew using a sewing machine. She felt it was a dying craft that her fore-mothers had known and used extensively in their daily lives and she felt it important to honor their legacy. Her Great-Great Grandmother and Great Grandmother having both worked in the King Mill in Augusta, GA as young girls. Her work is a reflection of shared experiences that her women ancestors endured, including themes of food insecurity, mental illness and poverty, and the subsequent inherited generational trauma Dunaway is bound to break.
Genevieve Lucas is a multimedia artist who, through the convergence of technology and traditional mediums, explores the dynamic relationship between humanity, nature, and the virtual realm. Drawing upon her background in computer science and research she enjoys incorporating technological design and blending it with organic elements. Her work has been shown locally in the Augusta area and Atlanta. Ultimately, Genevieve’s art seeks to awaken a renewed appreciation for the beauty and fragility of our planet, while also inspiring contemplation about the role of technology in shaping our future.