Everybody’s Bolos features the work of thirty contemporary artists who brought their unique voices to bear on the bolo tie, a type of neckwear traditionally constructed with a cord or braided leather string. The exhibition examines the cultural history and significance of the bolo tie in marginalized communities as well as its expressive potential and relevance as a gender-neutral form of personal adornment. Everybody’s Bolos encourages visitors to acknowledge, explore, and challenge cultural stereotypes, fostering a broader understanding through the inclusivity and creativity of craft. In addition, Everybody’s Bolos cultivates new audiences for contemporary makers who innovate in the realm of the bolo tie.
Everybody’s Bolos was co-organized and co-curated by Ana M. Lopez, professor of Studio Art: Metalsmithing and Jewelry at the University of North Texas; Brian Fleetwood, assistant professor of studio art at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM and citizen of the Muscogee Nation of Oklahoma; and Hannah Toussaint, metalsmith and craft artist and current MFA candidate at the University of Georgia.
This exhibition was supported by the Gretchen Keyworth Exhibition Fund, as well as the Plymouth Cultural Council and the Taunton Cultural Council, both of which are supported by Mass Cultural Council, a State agency.
Images, Left to Right:
Carapace by Sean Eren, 2023; Mons Bola by Jillian Moore, 2023; A Wilder Blue by Wyatt Nestor-Pasicznyk, 2023
All photos courtesy of Dasha Wright
In the Press:
Antiques & The Arts Weekly: ‘Everybody’s Bolos’ Part Necklace, Part Tie, Bolos Take Center Stage At Fuller Craft Museum
Boston Art Review: Fourteen Exhibitions Opening in Boston This Winter
This exhibition was also featured on radio WATD, and in the print issue of South Shore Home, Life & Style.
