Artist Statement & Bio

Woolpunk...has the hands of a gifted artisan, the soul of a social activist, and the passion of an environmentalist.

--Hildreth York, Curator, Writer, Emeritus 


Woolpunk featured on WNYC:

https://www.wnyc.org/story/woolpunk-montclair-art-museum/




Artist Bio


Woolpunk® is an American artist born in Summit, NJ in 1971. Woolpunk® employs materials and techniques sourcing women's work creation; historically, she machine-knits fiber installations, quilts sculptures, and embroiders photographs. Consequently, her work champions social change, addressing homelessness, foreclosures, water contamination, and deforestation. Referencing her unique stitching and use of fibers, she trademarked the name Woolpunk®, which she has been using creatively since 2004.


Most recently, the artist's public art installations, sculptures, and embroidered photos were on display in the World Trade Center Transit Lobby at the Oculus, the windows of Bergdorf Goodman, and the gallery at the Fashion Institute of Technology. In 2014, Woolpunk® founded the GIMME SHELTER PROJECT and hosted statewide community stitch-ins to bring awareness of the houseless increase in New Jersey. The stitch-ins created weatherized blankets donated to the PERC shelter in Union City, NJ; Parson's School of Design featured the project. She has received grant awards from Puffin Foundation, Goldman Sachs, and the Geraldine Dodge Foundation. Woolpunk's embroidered photographs and sculptures are in the permanent collections of Liberty State Park, Museo Del Cognome in Padula, Italy, Zimmerli Museum, Hudson County Community College Foundation Collection, Eileen Kaminsky Foundation Collection, and Montclair Art Museum, among others. Media highlights include Embroidery Magazine, Interweave Knits, Surface Design Journal, New York Times, State of the Arts, WCBS, and WNYC's All Of It with Alison Stewart.

CV

CV

WOOLPUNK®

www.woolpunk.com

Born in Summit, New Jersey, 1971

Lives and works in Jersey City, NJ


EDUCATION

2001 Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, MFA

2001 Douglas College, Rutgers University, Women’s Studies Certificate


SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2023-4 Stand /Fall II, Historic CCRNJ Terminal, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

2023 To Padula with Love, Town Hall, Padula, Italy

2022-3 Sunflowers & Graffiti’d Sky, Montclair Art Museum, NJ, Gail Stavisky, Curator

2022 Walking Palm, Windows at Bergdorf Goodman, NY

2021 Ocufluent I & II, World Trade Center Tower 2 Lobby, NYC

2020 MAGA ReDo, Monira Foundation at Mana, Jersey City, NJ, Ysabel Pinyol, Curator

2019 Rm 820,14C Art Fair, Hyatt Regency, Jersey City, NJ

2015 Gimme Shelter Project, Windows at Columbus, Jersey City, NJ, Eileen Ferara, Curator

2014 Gimme Shelter Project, Owen Grundy Pier, Jersey City, NJ, Luca Cusolito, Curator

2013-14 Tornado II, South Mountain Conservancy Wildflower Sculpture Park, South Orange, NJ

2010 Interference, Lion Brand Yarn Studio, NY

2009 Water falls. , Hunterdon Museum, Clinton, NJ, Mary Birmingham, Curator

2008 Threads, Object and Thought Gallery, Denver, Colorado

2007 Knot Constructs, The Garage, Jersey City, NJ, Margaret Murphy, Curator

2006 Communal Ties, City Hall, Jersey City, NJ

2005 Bound, Jersey City Museum, NJ, Rocio Aranda-Alvarado, PHD., Curator

2003 Shroud Series, Salve Regina Gallery, Washington DC

2002 Re-Form, Brunswick Window, Jersey City, NJ, Roger Sayre, Curator

2001 Knitting Lessons, Mason Gross Galleries, New Brunswick, NJ


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2204 Aqua Art Miami, Stand 225, Robinson Holloway, Curator

2024 The Golden Thread, South Street Seaport, NY, Bravin Lee Programs, Curator

2023 J&M Open Studios at the Nars Foundation, Sunset Park, NY

2023 Art Fair 14C, Historic CCRNJ Terminal, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

2023 Art Center Padula Open Studios, Padula, Italy

2023 Montclair Art Museum Annual Auction, Montclair, NJ

2022 Montclair Art Museum Annual Auction, Montclair, NJ

2021 Journal & Patterns, Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC

2021 Montclair Art Museum Annual Auction, Montclair, NJ

2021 Speedwell Projects Annual Auction, Maine, Juliet Karlsen, Curator

2021 RE: Growth, Riverside Park, NY, Karin Bravin, Curator

2021 Pause.., Rockefeller Foundation Treasurer Room, NY, Jennifer Roberts, Curator

2021 Recent Acquisitions, Montclair Art Museum, NJ, Gail Stavitsky, Curator

2020 Tiny Pricks Project, Culture House, Washington, DC, Diane Newmyer, Curator

2020 A Fractured Sigh, Bravin Lee Programs, NY, Charlotte B. Lee & Chiara Mannarino, Curators

2020 OUTDOORS, Monira Foundation at Mana Contemporary, NJ, Ysabel Pinyol Blasi, Curator

2020 Art Fair 14C, Jersey City, TFLR Contemporary, Brooklyn, NY

2019 New World Water, Seton Hall University, NJ, Samantha Becker, Curator

2019 Art & Social Activism Festival, NYC, Nicholas Cohn & Monika Fabijanska, Curators

2019 Mauled in America, Off Space, Canton Glarus, Switzerland, Fred Fleisher, Curator

2019 Directions in Fiber.., Montclair Art Museum, NJ Gail Stavitsky & Judy Wukitsch, Curators

2019 Ingenious Prospects, Novado Gallery, Jersey City, NJ, Anne Novado, Curator

2018 Morir Sonando, Knock Down Center, NY, Alex Santana, Curator

2018 Maurice Sendak School Art Auction, NY, Chris Bors, Curator

2017 The Matrix, Old SUNY Westbury, NY, Fred Fleisher, Curator

2017 Quantum Overdrive, Hudson County Community College, NJ, Fred Fleisher, Curator

2016 La Storia, Casa Colombo Center for the Arts, NJ

2016 Contemporary Hudson, Hudson Community College, NJ, Laurie Riccadonna, Curator

2015 The Big Show, Art Factory, Paterson, NJ, Matt Gosser, Curator

2015 Threads, Art Factory, Paterson, NJ, Lillian Ribiero, Curator

2014 Jerseyscapes, NJCUniversity, NJ, Midori Yoshimoto, Curator

2012 Perception Shifts, Stockton University, NJ, Heather Gibson, Curator

2011-12 Value of Water, St John Cathedral, NY, Fredericka Foster, Curator

2011 Home, _gaia, NJCU University, NJ, Doris Cacoilo, Curator

2011 Aljira Auction, Aljira: A Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ

2010 Collective Consumption, Dumbo Arts Festival, Claire Sexton & Christina Vassallo, Curators

2010 Emerging Patterns, Arts Council of Morris, NJ, Midori Yoshimoto, Curator

2010 Natural Selections, Greylocke Arts, North Adams, MA

2010 (Re)Fashioning Fiber, Green Spaces, NY, Abigail Doan, Curator

2009 New Look, Same Great Taste, Jersey City Museum, NJ, Rocio Alvarado, PHD., Curator

2009 Uncommon Threads, Seton Hall University, Jeanne Brasile, Curator

2009 Money!, ABC NO RIO, NY, Vandana Jain & Doris Cacoilo, Curators

2008 Your Documents Please, Traveling exhibition: Arts &Crafts Museum, Japan; Galerie Kurt im Hirsch, Berlin, among others, Daniel Georges & Rumi Tsuda, Curators

2008 Of The Cloth, Shore Institute of Contemporary Art, Long Branch, NJ

2008 Sprawl, NJ Arts Annual, Jersey City Museum, NJ Rocio Alvarado, PHD, Curator

2008 Sculptoure, The Shore Institute of Contemporary Art, Long Branch, NJ

2007 Lateral Attitudes, Raritan Comm. College, NJ, Tom McGlynn, Curator

2007 Noah’s Ark, Shore Institute of Art, NJ. Brendan Carroll, Curator

2006 Faculty Exhibition, Newark Museum, NJ

2006 The Sum of All Parts, The Hogar Collection, Brooklyn, NY

2005 (K)nots, NJCUniversity, NJ

2005 Contemporary Drawing, Brookdale Community College, NJ, Aaron Williams, Curator

2004 Nomadic Poets Artist Residency Exhibit, Casaterra, Italy

SELECTED PRESS & PUBLICATIONS

2024 “The Golden Thread..”, Hilarie M. Sheets, NY Times

2024 “Camba Teams up with Local Gallery..”, CBS News

2024 “The Golden Thread..”, Melissa Stern, Art Spiel

2024 “Gimme Shelter Stitch In”, Tris McCall, Jersey City Times

2023 “Artist Transformed Secondhand Donations”, Faylin Stempler, NJ Monthly

2022 “Woolpunk at MAM”, All of It with Allison Stewart, WNYC

2022 “Her artwork at the Oculus”, David Mosca, NJ.com

2022 Ocufluent I&II, Artforum.com, Art Guide

2022 “Journal & Pattern”, Art BreakOUT, the other art blog

2021 “Riverside Park Unveiling”, Ben Yakas, The Gothamist

2021 “Art Blooms Alongside Nature..”, Hillarie M. Sheets, NY Times

2020 “A Fractured Sigh” featured in by Manuela Antonucci, lavocedinewyork.com

2020 Walking Palm featured in Perennial Magazine, Hudson County Community College

2019 I Can’t See the Stars featured @DailyTrumpet, Jonathan Horowitz, Curator

2018 “Alex Santana: On Curating Morir Sonando..” Jasmin Hernandez, gallerygurls.tumblr

2018 “Morir Sonando”, Editors of ARTnews, artnews.com

2017 “The Matrix” Long Island City University Exhibit Catalog

2017 “Protest Quilt with Bazooka...”, Chris Barth, DailySoundandFury.com

2016 “La Storia: Mazza, Riccadonna and Vitale”, Paddy Johnson, artfcity.com

2016 “Michelle Vitale…”, ChichpeaJC, www.chicpeajc.com

2015 “Michelle Vitale..”, Branding..Podcast with Susan Newman

2015 “Choosing a Community..”, featured at Parsons School of Design

2015 “Gimme Shelter Project”, Push Pause, Verizon Fios Channel 1

2015 “Gimme Shelter Stitch In” featured on Channel 12 News

2015 “A Stitch In Time Can...”, Matthew Speiser, Jersey Journal

2015 “Jersey City Artist..”, Summer Dawn Hortillosa, Jersey Journal

2013 “Colorful Life Returns to Jersey City”, Brendan Carroll, Hyperalleric

2013 “Oral Histories of Sandy”, Tammy La Groce, New York Times

2012 “Value of Water”, St John Divine Cathedral, World Policy Blog

2012 “Value of Water”, St John Divine Cathedral, Vimeo

2012 ”Newly Opened Woolpunk..” Summer Dawn Hortillosa, Jersey Journal

2011 “Former Jersey City...” Brendan Carroll, Jersey City Independent

2010 “Woolpunk Extraordinaire”, Abigail Doan blog

2009 “New Meanings..”, Sabrina Gschwandter, Interweave Magazine

2009 “Family Skills..”, Hildy York, Surface Design Journal

2009 “Home Sweet Home”, Jessica Hemmings, Embroidery Magazine

2009 Sprawl Exhibition Catalog, Rocio Aranda-Alvarado PHD

2007 “This Is That”, Patty Johnson, Art F City

2007 Lateral Attitudes Exhibition Catalog, Tom McGlynn

2006 (K)nots Exhibition Catalog, Michelle Vitale

2006 Circa Craft Exhibition Catalog, Rocio Aranda-Alvarado, PHD

2005 “State of the Arts”, NJN Radio, Peter Shea

2005 “Taking Art To The Streets”, Jersey City Magazine, Peter Zinsil

2005 “Shrouds Series No 2”, Featured in Puffin Foundation Catalog


SELECTED HONORS

2024 Guest Speaker, EMAMI Conference, Berlin, Germany

2024 Guest Speaker, The Golden Thread, South Street Seaport, NY

2024 Stand/ Fall installation, Liberty State Park Archive

2024 Guest Speaker, Handweavers Guild, Boulder, CO

2023 To Padula with Love, Padula Municipality Archive

2023 Artist in Residence at Art Center Padula, Italy

2022 Guest, All of It with Alison Stewart, WNYC Public Radio

2022 Guest Speaker at the Montclair Art Museum, NJ

2022 Guest Speaker, The Knitty Gritty, NJ

2022 Guest Speaker at the Fashion Institute of Technology, NY

2021 Guest Speaker, Hudson County Community College, NJ

2021 Guest Speaker, ReGrowth at Riverside Park, NY

2020 Essential Artist Series, Bravin Lee Programs, NYC

2020 WOOLPUNK® officially trademarked, USA

2020 Guest Speaker at Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ

2019 Sponsored exhibitor at Art & Social Activism Festival, NYC

2019 Guest Speaker at Art & Social Activism Festival, NYC

2019 Sponsored Exhibitors Room, 14C Art Fair, Jersey City, NJ

2019 Selected exhibitor, New Jersey Arts Annual, Montclair Art Museum, NJ

2019 Guest Speaker, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ

2018 Foundation Collection Advisory Board, Hudson County Community College, NJ

2017 Advisory Board Committee, Jersey City Arts Council, NJ

2016 Inaugural Director of Dineen Hull Gallery, Hudson County Community College, NJ

2014 Guest Speaker, Jerseyscapes, New Jersey City University, NJ

2011 Woman of Action Award for PSE&G Mural Program, Jersey City, NJ

2011 “Grant Street”, Collection of Hudson County Community College, NJ

2010 “Pacific Court”, Collection of Jersey City/Zimmerli Museum, NJ

2009 _gaia Residency Program, NJ

2008 Invited exhibitor, New Jersey Arts Annual, NJ, Jersey City Museum

2007 Guest Speaker with Paddy Johnson, Jersey City Museum, NJ

2007 Guest Speaker and Curator, Pace University, NYC

2007 Guest Speaker, Lateral Attitudes, Raritan Valley College, NJ

2005 New Jersey Public Radio State of the Arts: Artist of the Month

2005 Guest Speaker, Circa Craft, Jersey City Museum, NJ

2005 Invited exhibitor, New Jersey Arts Annual- Crafts, Jersey City Museum, NJ

2004 “Cast” Collection of Casaterra Residency Program, Puglia, Italy

2004 Geraldine Dodge and Fine Arts Work Center Grant Award, MA

2004 Casaterra Residency Program, Italy

2004 Goldman and Sachs Arts Grant Award, NJ

2004 Puffin Foundation Artist Award, NJ

1999-01 Teaching Assistantship, Rutgers University, NJ

1994-95 Teaching Artist, RC Volunteers, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation