Peters Valley School of Craft to hold pop-up fiber art exhibit

Peters Valley School of Craft announced a two-day, pop up exhibition with fiber artist Kachina Leigh titled “Alphabet of Expectations: An ABC Primer for Today’s Girl” The show will be on display for the very first time in the Sally D. Francisco Gallery on March 1 and March 2, with an opening artist reception to be held in person from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 1.

“Alphabet of Expectations: An ABC Primer for Today’s Girl” is a series of 26 embroidered vintage dresses that “reinterpreted the traditional gender specific alphabet primer,” the gallery said in its announcement. “Drawing on her own experiences as a woman and high school educator, the words Kachina selected to embroider and illustrate are powerful indicators of how women’s behavior has and continues to be judged by society. Following the structure of an ABC book, each letter is embroidered on the front of the dress, and on the back, a word starting with that letter is accompanied by a simple illustration.”

Leigh also created the mannequin forms for the exhibition, tailoring each form to the garment it displays. Each form is covered in pages from various editions of “Etiquette: The Blue Book of Social Usage” by Emily Post.

The Sally D. Francisco Gallery at Peters Valley School of Craft (19 Kuhn Rd., Layton, NJ) is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.