Studio Art BFA grad Lena Miltimore exhibits in Olympia, Lynden

Fiber arts and painting fans have two opportunities to see the work of Western alum Lena Miltimore in September and October. Her work is at the Inn at Lynden through September 28, and will be featured at Altitude 15 on October 4 and 5 during Olympia Arts Walk. Miltimore graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art.

Much of my work presents femininity and my experiences of womanhood. An inspiration of my art comes from noticing the beautiful things in my life that are manifested, nurtured, and cared for by women, and I seek to add to this legacy with my own craft. Portraits are painted on unstretched canvas, then cut apart into thin strips and woven back together on a loom, creating a new image that is an amalgamation of painting and woven tapestry. The fiber material in my woven paintings calls on the soft and comforting feelings I associate with the women around me. This element of the work also acknowledges the realm of textile art, which is historically a women-centered artform. Much like the generations of women in my family, I use textiles both as a form of meditation and an artistic outlet to express myself and bring the divine into the everyday. Painting the portrait acts as a recognizable physical embodiment of the deeper feelings and emotions I am experiencing. In this show, I have portraits of four generations of my Russian grandmothers alongside self portraits and other studies, displaying introspection in understanding my heritage and my place in the world. These portraits are not finished at the final brushstroke, they are then shredded and stitched anew. What holds these women together, in my experience, is mirrored in the process and structure of the final artwork: secure and flexible, durable yet delicate.