Bethany Moody to Host Artist’s Talk at BPL on May 30

 

Bethany Moody in her studio

Please join us at the Central Library on Saturday, May 30, at 2 p.m. for an artist’s talk with Bethany Moody. Moody will discuss the guiding concepts and processes behind her exhibition Play Things, presently on view in the Sculpture Gallery.

 The talk will take place in the room adjoining the Fourth Floor Gallery at 2:00 p.m. Please register for this free event at Eventbrite. If you haven't yet visited Play Things, May 30 is your last opportunity!

The animated yet abstract drawings and soft sculptures in "Play Things" combine toy history, systems-driven design, material culture, and labor rights. In her talk, Moody will trace the artistic practice behind this body of work and offer an in-depth look at her process, from sustainable material sourcing to slow hand-finishing.

Shoehorn (close-up), 2024

The textile sculptures featured in Play Things are handcrafted from repurposed cotton bedsheets and hand-knit and crocheted wool, whose rich, unusual hues Moody created with an array of natural dyes. Other pieces are made from reclaimed cotton fabric woven at the Indian Head Textile Mills in Cordova, Alabama (1898-1962). According to Moody, “these materials represent lived experience: the things we value, the waste we create, and the environments we inhabit.”

Illustration of Potential Orientation, Quadruple Handset, 2025

An educator and interdisciplinary artist, Moody has exhibited nationally in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis, with recent shows at Abroms-Engel Institute for the Arts and Sarah Moody Gallery of Art. She has completed residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Studio by the Tracks, Troy University, and the University of Montevallo, and is a recipient of the 2025 Individual Artist Fellowship and Project Grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Moody has also led public workshops, talks, keynote addresses, and demonstrations on her practice and related processes. She is currently an Instructor of Foundations at the University of Alabama. Learn more about Moody's work on her website. 

This activity is made possible in part by a grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. 

Modular Double Cross and Double Handset - Orientation 1, 2025

Written by Margaret Splane, Library Assistant III - Art for Everyone, Community Engagement, Fundraising