Louise Halsey

Louise Halsey’s Artist Statement

Over the course of my weaving career, I have loved exploring the diagonal as a central design element. By using black and white with a bit of the color red, I hope to pull the viewer into the energy this combination creates. A different series in my work involves the simplified shape of a house, as shown here. With these narrative works, I place the house in jeopardy reflecting my own feelings about the threats posed by climate change and political chaos. The three dimensional figure allows me a playful outlet for expressing my views. I make tapestry woven pieces to place on a wooden armature each creation with its own personality and presence. 

Louise Halsey’s Biography

My approach to art has been enriched through books & travel, though I live in the Ozarks of Arkansas. I weave standing up at my Cranbrook floor loom having learned weaving initially from Edwina Bringle. In 1971 after graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, I studied at Arrowmont School of Crafts, then Penland School and then the University of Georgia with Glen Kaufman. In 2007 I completed an MFA-Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College. Four of my tapestries were shown in the exhibition “High Fiber: Women to Watch 2012” at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. In 2017 the Arkansas Arts Council named me an Arkansas Living Treasure. Weaving helps me stay sane, so external rewards are welcome, while my curiosity and Ideas are the motivation for my work.