Keepsakes like fabric scraps, photos, and trinkets. These sentimental souvenirs evoke memories of a person, a place, a time. When making selections for this year’s exhibition, I wondered about such mementos. The importance of persimmon, cherry, and mango. Materials reclaimed: cloth, sage, and a horse’s tooth. Locales; from cityscape and mountain range to a dreary view of the unknown outdoors. Each feels particular, and therefore, significant.

I want to know Samantha Archide’s Melinda, Abigail Christensen’s Ken and Amy, and the little one that smiles in Jacob Wilson’s Burrow and Bury. In all these cases, artists have provided access points to engage with these characters. When first encountering Benjamin Hunt’s Poduška, one might ask, “who is pictured?” More thought-provoking: might the cloth have belonged to the person portrayed?

Some artists have reminded us to take our time. Consider, Ashley Larson’s Rumination I, another example where a fabric scrap was made noteworthy. Did the artist arduously pluck threads from the weft? If so, do we call this act destruction, meditation, or creation? Maybe it is renewal. If we can ruminate as Larson suggests, let us give thought to Rick Godin’s furnishings, too. What might you put in the keepsake box?

Juror Statement by Carolyn Herrera-Perez