Photo: Fuller Craft Museum.
“The Red Dress” is the culmination of 15 years of work by 380 embroiderers from over 50 countries, many of the contributors from impoverished, marginalized groups.
My friend Ann, a textile artist, invited me to pay a visit to the Fuller Craft Museum, a beautiful place in Brockton, Massachusetts. She was especially interested in seeing an embroidered dress that had traveled the world and uplifted many talented but marginalized women, but we got a kick out of all the exhibits.
I took photos — quite a few of works by button artist Beau McCall.
The first image below is of McCall’s jeans top and the second of some sneakers — all covered with buttons. The third piece is also covered with buttons, even the black parts. The only button-free place is where the zipper would go.
The button-covered bathtub was particularly arresting. Ann says she wants to find out how McCall sources so many buttons, many of them clearly antique.
The next photo, of an embroidered dress, features the handicraft of embroiderers of all kinds around New England, a local homage to “The Red Dress.”
My last shot is of George Greenamyer’s steel train at the entrance to the museum, a hint that the ugly suburban highway where the museum is located has something magical behind the parking lot — a modern building with courtyards and vistas of swans sailing along serene Upper Porter Pond.
More at Fuller Craft, here.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
Perhaps I’ll send him my antique buttons! They will probably be tossed otherwise.
Awesome idea! Do it!
The red dress is amazing and I love the buttons!
The videos that went with each of these shows were fascinating.
That red dress is absolutely stunning! I just sat and stared at it for awhile.
My friend the textile artist took close-ups of the great variety of types of sewing on it. Amazing!
So cool! That red dress is stunning. Crafts meet fine art!
The whole idea is so moving.