Brenetta Ward in the Artist Studio
Date & Time
Sunday, June 21, 2026
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
This event is in the past.
Tickets
Included with admission;
FREE for Burke members
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Join Brenetta Ward in the Artist Studio in celebration of Juneteenth!
Brenetta will be working on a new series of fiber art pieces inspired by the Yoruba Beaded Sashes worn by Ifa Priestesses. Her demonstration will focus on hand-quilting (slow stitching) and embellishing the sashes. She will also have work from her recent collection, Fabric Altars: Threaded Black Narratives, on display.
"As a third-generation quilter, I find that the process of hand-quilting brings me joy and serves as a form of meditation. This mindful practice offers refuge from the daily stress, chaos and conflict we are facing as U.S. citizens." — Brenetta Ward
About the Artist
Brenetta Ward is a Seattle-based fiber artist, third-generation quilter, and oral historian. Her work has been exhibited at the Postmark Center for the Arts; Wa Na Wari; Stark Museum of Art; California Museum; The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art; the Textile Center: A National Center for Fiber Art; National Afro-American Museum; Ethnic Heritage Art Gallery; Tacoma Art Museum; Northwest African American Museum and Spellman College Museum of Fine Art. Selected pieces have been published in We Are the Story: A Visual Response to Racism and Spirits of the Cloth and included in public, corporate and private collections.
Learn more about Brenetta Ward and her work on her website.
Artist Bio
I combine traditional quilting techniques, ethnic fabrics and African design aesthetics to create quilted legacies. My quilting style honors my Southern roots and incorporates a range of techniques. Using cultural textiles, vintage photographs and symbolic embellishments, I construct contemporary quilts that keep you warm, narrative quilts that tell cultural stories and fabric art that celebrates the spirit of the cloth.
My art is influenced by my values, life experiences, spiritual beliefs and culture. The integration of these elements guides my creative expression. I believe fiber is a powerful influence in our lives. It is the first thing we are swaddled in when we are born, and it is the last thing we are wrapped in when we leave this earthly life.
Many of my pieces feature Mud Cloth, a textile from Mali. The narrow strips of this handwoven cotton are stitched together into a whole cloth, then resist-painted with symbols and dyed using mud from the local area. I carefully deconstruct the strips of fabric to use in my art. I believe its connection to the earth of my ancestors’ homeland provides a powerful bond to my own history and personal story.
As an oral historian, I especially enjoy designing pieces that pay tribute to African Americans whose contributions to our shared history have not been sufficiently recognized. As a Black woman, an artist, and a citizen in this country, I believe my art and artistic practice are acts of liberation.
