The Marietta College Art Department is pleased to present Cloth & Connection, a two-person exhibition with artists Peggy Black and Sandy Sheleberger, co-curated with Beth Nash. The show will be on display in Gallery 310, February 10 through April 23, 2026, with an artists’ reception on Friday, March 20 from 4:00 to 5:30pm.
The exhibition’s concept and title highlight the central role of cloth in the practices of the featured textile artists, each of whom engages with the material in a distinct and meaningful way. Textiles permeate every aspect of our lives: our clothing, our homes, and the objects that bring us comfort and security; therefore, creating a universal, tactile connection to cloth. For Peggy, cloth is a language—something that “speaks” to her through its textures and possibilities. Sandy explains, “I strive to create a mood or energy in my work that sparks a connection,” emphasizing the emotional resonance she aims to evoke. Together their work coalesces to remind the viewer, or visitor to the exhibition, that what connects us is far deeper than what separates.
Both artists have extensive exhibition records and professional recognitions. In 2017 Peggy was honored to receive Best of Show Quilt National ’17 at The Dairy Barn Art Center in Athens, Ohio. She received Best of Show at Biennial 2020, a regional multi-media show. She has also received Awards of Excellence and Honorable Mentions at national and regional juried shows, including Quilt Art Elements at the Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA, Form, Not Function at the Carnegie Center for Arts and Science Center in New Albany, IN, and Quilts=Art=Quilts at the Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn, NY. She has work in several private collections.
Sandy’s art has been exhibited in regional and international invitational and juried shows across the country. Select exhibits include: Quilt National (Athens, OH 2021, 2005) FACES of Fiber, Estes Park, CO, Visions Art Museum, San Diego, CA, Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL, Ohio Craft Museum, Columbus, OH, Quilts=Art=Quilts at Schweinfurth Arts Center, Auburn, NY (2025, 2019), and Fiberart International, Pittsburgh, PA. She received the Award for Excellence at the “Best of 2014” Exhibition at the Ohio Craft and a Juror’s Award at Quilt National 2005.
Gallery 310 is located on the third floor of the Hermann Fine Arts Center at Marietta College. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 9am to 3pm, or by appointment at powelll@marietta.edu Gallery 310 observes all Marietta College holidays and breaks. All exhibitions and receptions are free and open to the public.