Tonight at 5:00 p.m., the Handwerker Gallery welcomes a new exhibition, Threads of Hope: The Chilean Arpillera Movement. Tiny, place mat-sized, hand-sewn cloth "canvases" dot the space with question marks and blank faces. Hushed emotions and untold stories come through in red, yellow, and blue.

They were all created during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship in Chile (1973-1990) by women who wanted to honor their loved ones who had been detained, or "disappeared." This is a reflective collection more than anything else, so take some time to stop by and work your way through. Then, feel welcome to leave your thoughts on our papered far-side wall.

Opening reception: Thursday, October 22, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Admission, as always, is free and open to the public. The show runs October 22 to December 11, 2009.

The first show of the year is ready to be seen. Join us tonight (September 3) from 5-7pm for the official opening of Spectacular Spectacular: Cautionary Tales and Other Stories, and bring an appetite for some analysis of pop-culture.

South Carolina artist, Dawn Hunter describes her work as an "[exploration of] iconic images of idealized femininity in ways that make them playfully ironic." She is said to be particularly struck by the seductive nature of later 20th century fashion photography. The work addresses the many persona attributed to women in a very collage-like style--hitting notes of emotion rather than of definitive place or origin. (No direct media bashing; just some clever rearranging of images to define the media's intent.)

Stop by now till October 11, and be sure to check out the artist's talk on September 30 at 4:30p.m. if you happen to have any questions for the artist, herself.