Tewahade show opens at Memorial Hall

Tewahade, a local small business owner, started creating fiber art and quilts when she was eight.

“I have been drawn to textiles and the feel of different fibers in my hands for as long as I can remember. Recently, I have included plants as natural dyes to create color and pattern on fiber. Hunting, gathering, and growing these natural dyes has become more than just a task. It has become an art of its own and a meditative process in which I find joy, peace, and inspiration,” she said.

She said she uses the following plants for dye: Goldenrod, prickly poppy, hibiscus, dyer’s knotweed, yarrow, prickly pear cactus, sunflower, apple bark, curly dock, pine bark, zinnias, and purple cabbage.

Tewahade invites viewers of her art to look at it from a distance, approach it to look deeply into the texture of intertwined fibers, and touch the art.

“As a fiber artist, I try to meld the senses of sight and touch. Each piece of my artwork is meant to be touched and handled so the viewer can not only experience the visual impact of the work but also feel it. Viewers must combine both to fully comprehend and appreciate the artwork,” she said.

After graduating from CSC with a degree in art education, she combined her passion for teaching and the fiber world by opening an art studio and quilt shop in Chadron where she teaches classes to all ages of people.

She said as she has researched the clothing textile industry, and has become concerned with the amount of textile waste and fiber production pollutants. As a result, she is trying to create a more sustainable wardrobe for herself by creating garments and using visible mending on articles that she previous would have discarded.

“It’s kind of like a love/hate relationship with the fiber industry. I have always been someone who wants to fix problems when I see them and quilting is a great way to repurpose some of that fiber waste. I hope that my work brings knowledge to the viewers of how individuals can tackle such a monumental issue as textile waste and pollution,” she said.

Leila Tewahade, a sophomore at Chadron High School, has been taking photographs for about a year. In addition to photography, she enjoys math and science and hopes to have a career in conservation.

“I wanted to take pictures of natural subjects to connect myself with the world outside of my day to day life. Unsurprisingly, the photos began to remind me of how beautiful and unique things occur when untouched by mankind,” she said.

Leila Tewahade said the goal of photography is to show others how dazzling and exquisite Earth can be when unsullied by mankind.

“More and more of the world is becoming bothered and is losing its wondrous side. In the near future, I hope that art, similar to the pictures I take, will bring attention to the people of this planet. I hope we all begin to view how precious the natural world is and change our actions to preserve it,” she said.

—Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator