In

Friday, February 13 through Saturday, April 5, 2025

Charlotte Street presents a new exhibition titled Fem-utility Closet: Cohabitate, curated by Melissa Dorn, February 21—April 5, 2025. An opening reception will be held on Friday, February 21, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM in the Charlotte Street Gallery. This immersive installation, a cross between a utility closet and a cozy cocoon, unites the work of eight feminists who work in the realm of craft, creating physically or conceptually labor intensive works. Artists include Stephanie Alaniz (Emporia, KS), Morgan Chandler Bouldes (Milwaukee, WI), Summer Brooks (Kansas City, MO), Hadley Clark (Kansas City, MO), Melissa Dorn (Milwaukee, WI), Bernadette Negrete (Kansas City, MO), Kate E. Schaffer (Milwaukee, WI), Valaria Tatera (Milwaukee, WI).

Fem-utility Closet: Cohabitate encourages people to give time and space to fully feel, engage with, and contemplate the world they’ve entered, potentially evoking a sense of wonder and delight. As they move closer to the objects and materials, they may begin to think about the everydayness of what is around them and the labor, most often unseen, that goes into our collective everydayness.

Melissa Dorn aims to create a space for maintenance, which she defines as the essential act of caring for oneself and one’s community, viewing it as a necessity rather than an indulgence. She is particularly interested in how craft can serve as a form of maintenance. The featured artists share works that they believe enhance their well-being and the well-being of their community. These often soft, tactile, and repetitive pieces foster collaboration with viewers through sensory memory.

Fem-utility Closet: Cohabitate is a soft place to land in a world full of indifference and the hard edges of patriarchy and capitalism. It is a place to reflect on how we interact with maintenance.

CURATED BY
Melissa Dorn

FEATURED ARTISTS
Stephanie Alaniz (Emporia, KS), Morgan Chandler Bouldes (Milwaukee, WI), Summer Brooks (Kansas City, MO), Hadley Clark (Kansas City, MO), Melissa Dorn (Milwaukee, WI), Bernadette Negrete (Kansas City, MO), Kate E. Schaffer (Milwaukee, WI), Valaria Tatera (Milwaukee, WI).

 

Cover Image (From Left to Right, Top to Bottom): Morgan Chandler Bouldes, Stephanie Alaniz, Melissa Dorn, Valaria Tatera, Kate E. Shaffer, Hadley Clark, Summer Brooks, Bernadette Negrete

Programming

Exhibition Opening Reception

Friday, February 21 from 6:00-9:00 PM | Charlotte Street Gallery

Please join us for the opening reception for Fem-utility Closet: Cohabitate.

Fem-utility Closet: Lap Work

Saturday, February 22 from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM | Charlotte Street Gallery

Let’s circle up for conversation and crafting on Saturday, February 22. Please join artists Melissa Dorn, Kate E. Schaffer, and Morgan Chandler Bouldes for a public program following the opening. Participants will fortify themselves by viewing the exhibition through chosen craft/art processes. As audience members find comfort in connecting, they may focus discussions around maintenance, feminism, and labor. Please come with any craft/art project that can be done on your lap.

Exhibition Details

When

Friday, February 21 through Saturday, April 5, 2025

Where

Charlotte Street Gallery (3333 Wyoming St)

Next Event

What Came With Spring: Documentary Screening

When

Wednesday, March 26 at 7:30 PM

Where
Charlotte Street Stern Theater (3333 Wyoming St)
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