Women’s Work - Fiber Art by Whitney Dirks
Schedule
Sat Nov 08 2025 at 03:00 pm to 05:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
315 S Minnesota Ave, Saint Peter, MN | Saint Peter, MN
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Join us for the Opening Reception of Women’s Work by Whitney Dirks. Whitney (she/her) is a disabled, queer textile artist living in Saint Peter, Minnesota. She has been working with upcycled fiber (embroidery, hand and machine sewing, appliqué) since 2020, and her art plushies have been installed in multiple local businesses. She teaches embroidery, mending, and sewing workshops through local arts organizations. Her soft sculpture “Серенити (Serenity)” won a Juror’s Choice award at the Carnegie Art Center (Mankato, MN), and a pair of her plushies were exhibited in Armenia. This is her first solo exhibition, made possible by an Artist Grant from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council with funds provided by the McKnight Foundation. Artist Statement
Fast fashion epitomizes everything that's wrong with capitalism: fabric production is atrocious for the environment, sweatshops are wildly exploitative of their workers, and discarded garments litter the planet. This exhibition's title (Women’s Work) reflects that women comprise upwards of 80% of the sweatshop workforce. They earn low wages for working long hours in unsafe conditions, including being relegated to tasks with the highest risks of injury and exposure to hazardous chemicals. Further exploitation includes wage theft, sexual harassment, compulsory pregnancy tests, job loss due to injury or illness, and virtual slavery conditions for both women and children. Sweatshop workers cannot afford to purchase the clothing that they make. The fashion industry's environmental costs are also astronomical. Commercial dyeing pollutes water systems with heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and carcinogens. Abandoned textiles are dumped in landfills or incinerated. Polyester, acrylic, spandex, and nylon are not biodegradable, and they shed plastic microfibers when laundered.
However, a post-consumer approach to fashion is both possible and practicable within local communities. Fabric and sewing notions can be found in thrift shops, while existing clothing can be altered, personalized, and repaired. Socially conscious consumers can support local and small businesses, simultaneously uplifting independent artists and undermining the rampant acquisitiveness that lies at the heart of fast fashion. Women’s Work asks you to actively consider how clothing is made, by whom, and with what consequences for people and for the Earth.
The interactive show will be up on display from November 7th through December 27th and the opening reception is November 8th from 3-5pm at the Arts Center of St. Peter. Light snacks and refreshments provided. ✨
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Where is it happening?
315 S Minnesota Ave, Saint Peter, MN, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
