Merill Comeau: Narratives of Mending And Endurance

Merill’s art investigates current socio-political issues and is inspired by traditions of craft and the history of ‘women’s work’. As Merill shares her story as a fiber artist, we will hear about her inspirations, processes, and choices of materials. See how hundreds of snippets and the mark making of stitch come together to convey narratives of mending and endurance.

Merill Comeau reclaims cast offs through painting, printing, stenciling, thermo-faxing, rusting, and layering to create a new enriched surface. She often creates large drawings to flesh out ideas and metaphors.  Her multifaceted approach uses imagery from nature as a symbol of our life cycle, text to convey or imply meaning, and abstraction to mirror the cacophony and complications of everyday life.  As hundreds of snippets are stitched together, each part becomes integral to the whole, akin to the sum of the many moments that make up a lifetime.

Merill’s work has been featured in over 80 exhibitions and numerous art venues. The Institute of Contemporary Art Boston’s Art Lab hosted her interactive project Threads of Connection through December 2020. Her installation Family of Origin toured with FiberArt International 2019. She has completed numerous art residencies including three month-long stays at Weir Farm National Historic Site in CT where she researched the women of Weir Farm for art making inspiration.  She has been a guest artist and speaker at numerous academic institutions. Many publications have showcased her work, including Surface Design Journal, TextileArtist.org, Fiber Art Now, Textile Study Group of New York’s blog, Massachusetts Cultural Council’s ArtsSake blog, and World of Threads Artist Interviews.

In addition to her solo studio practice, Merill facilitates the emergence of artistic voices. She is a teaching artist with youth serving sentences in secure treatment centers in Massachusetts. Her practice is trauma-informed, and uses visual expression to tell stories, transmit knowledge, and define values.  She has executed over 30 public projects and taught numerous workshops.  In addition to teaching, Comeau lectures on her work, fiber arts in a postmodern context, and visual voices of social justice.

Website: https://www.merillcomeau.com/