Back in early November, we had the pleasure of inviting Artist Kayla Powers into our studio while she was in West Michigan for her residency at Saugatuck Center for the Arts. We have admired her work from afar for many years, and were more than happy to donate some of our scraps for her classes in the area. We also gifted her a Ranch Jumpsuit & Painter Top in Pebble to dye as she pleases! More on that coming soon.
Kayla is a place-based artist and naturalist who makes ecologically focused textile art with and about the living world. She employs the traditional practices of foraging, dyeing, weaving, and stitching to explore the common threads of our shared humanity with the intention of creating connections – to the earth, to craft, and to each other.
We spent our time together making “seeds” with our scraps for her project “Sowing Seeds” that can be viewed at her exhibit “Flourish” at SC4A.
Flourish is an exhibition of textile art that delves into the interconnectedness and cyclicality of the living world. Plant-dyed, handcrafted fiber works invite us to explore the unique ecology of Southwest Michigan and to cultivate a sense of belonging. This exhibit runs at SC4A through May 8th!
Tell us a little bit about your story and introduce us to your life - how did you get where you are today?
When I think about how my art practice began it wasn’t because I loved painting or drawing, it was because I loved being outside. My siblings and I were always running around in the woods - in Texas where we’re all from and then eventually Michigan which is really home. Collecting rocks and making forts and things. I’ve just always felt very at home outside.
As an undergrad, I studied Art History which introduced me to all different forms of art and the textiles really resonated with me. But the real pivotal moment for me as an artist was when I sat in front of a loom for the first time. Something just clicked. That was about 12 years ago. Maybe more. And I’ve been on this path ever since.
What does your process look like as an artist? How are your concepts brought to life?
When I really try to look at my creative process, it’s hard to tease apart what is my art practice and what is my life. And really, at this point they are one and the same. I’m working to create the conditions for creativity to arise. Taking a walk, reading, writing, meditation, weaving, cooking, sewing, being with friends, with family, gardening…this is how I cultivate the conditions.
Talk to us about your relationship with color and how it informs your work.
Working with color that comes from the living world has helped me to tune in to the nuance of color. And to the specificity of local, seasonal color. I see color almost as a material in my work. A living material. One that has deep roots in cultures all around the world and all throughout time. Working with locally foraged plants is a way to connect to a place and tradition and craft. I even think there’s some ancestral muscle memory in the posture of gardening or foraging…crouched down, hands in the soil. It is very human.
Reciprocity seems to be a major theme for your exhibition “Sowing Seeds” - tell us more about why reciprocity is so important to you as an artist who draws inspiration from the land.
Oh yes. Reciprocity is a major theme of Sowing Seeds. It comes from the idea of The Gift Economy as described in The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It’s a model of exchange within the living world that is cyclical, not transactional. It’s about the ongoing cycles of giving and taking, generosity and abundance found in the living world. I think if we could learn from this and learn to experience ourselves as part of the family of things, take less and give more, not only will the earth have a better chance of sustaining life for longer but we will be more deeply fulfilled along the way.
So this project, Sowing Seeds, is a literal and metaphorical example of The Gift Economy. People were invited to make a small fabric seed, modeled after a sunflower seed, and to mail it in to Saugatuck Center For The Arts to be part of my exhibition Flourish. Everyone who visits the exhibition will be invited to take a seed home with them. For free! From a stranger! Sharing the abundance.
In what ways does your work differ when you’re creating in Michigan during the fall versus when you’re creating back home in Santa Fe?
It’s really nice to be here in Michigan in the fall, for one thing I am more familiar with our plants here than I am with my new home in Santa Fe. I’m more familiar with the seasons and the rhythms here. This moment, end of summer, beginning of fall is such a great time for foraging. We still have some flowers but then we also have black walnuts and acorns and sumac. And the palette is so nice, warm neutrals and earth tones.
