WCU’s Knauer Gallery Presents Iron and Indigo
Iron and Indigo: Traveling Exhibition Features Nine Contemporary Artists Working with Natural and Land-Based Materials
West Chester University’s Department of Art + Design invites the public to experience
Iron and Indigo, a traveling exhibition
featuring the work of nine contemporary artists who explore natural pigments, dyes,
and other land-based materials. The exhibition is on view through October 1, 2026,
in the Knauer Gallery, located in the Swope Music Building, 817 S. High Street, West
Chester.
An opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 3, from 4–6 p.m. The public is also invited to attend curator talks with artists Laini Nemett and Julia Clift on Friday, September 11, from noon–1 p.m. The Knauer Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Iron and Indigo brings together artists who work with materials ranging from corn cobs and cochineal ink to collected refuse, natural dyes, and other materials gathered from the land. The exhibition was first presented at Utopia in Kingston, New York, before traveling to West Chester University.
The artists featured in the exhibition are Esteban Cabeza de Baca, Julia Clift, Courtney Dudley, Ellie Irons, Lydia Kern, Laini Nemett, Kate Stewart, Nichole van Beek, and Allie E.S. Wist.
While the works range from sculptures and hand-dyed quilts to landscape paintings, they share an interest in the possibilities of materials made or gathered thoughtfully. Many of the artists use handcrafted, impermanent, and non-standardized materials as a way of questioning conventional approaches to artmaking and the systems of mass production and consumption.
The works also explore personal stories, regional histories, ecosystems, and relationships to the land. Some artists use materials connected to specific places or traditions, while others incorporate personally cultivated or collected materials into their work. Together, the pieces demonstrate how land-based materials can serve as both artistic media and vehicles for storytelling.
Rather than looking nostalgically to the past, Iron and Indigo presents natural and land-based materials as part of a forward-looking artistic practice. The exhibition considers how artists can work outside extractive systems while drawing attention to issues including environmental injustice, climate change, and the relationship between people and the places they inhabit.
For more information, email SStewart@wcupa.edu.