Firsthand Experience: Fiber

Firsthand Experience: Fiber 
Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. 
A workshop for creating fiber art is inspired by  the inventive ways artists incorporate fiber into their work in the exhibition Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection. Firsthand Experiences bring contemporary creators together with learners ages 13 and older for hands-on programs that combine creative arts, conversations, and discovery. Explore a range of humble fibers and transform them into art. Be inspired by the inventive ways artists incorporate fiber into their work in the groundbreaking exhibition Making Their Mark: Works from the Shah Garg Collection.

All materials will be provided; no experience necessary. For ages 13 and older.
Tickets: $25; Students, seniors, DC residents: $22; Members: $20. Reservations required.

About the Artist Instructor

Autumn Spears (b. 1998) is a Washington, D.C. native whose art serves as a powerful medium for reimagining Black histories and diasporic narratives. Her upbringing in communities of color, while simultaneously navigating predominantly white institutions, has profoundly shaped her identity and artistic vision. These contrasting environments have ignited her interest in exploring black representation and identity across the African diaspora.

In 2020 she received her BFA in Art Education from Albright College. In 2023, Spears held her inaugural solo exhibition, “Becoming,” at the Freedman Gallery in Reading, Pennsylvania. This milestone event showcased her distinctive style and marked the beginning of a promising artistic journey. Additionally, Spears’s work has been featured in local cultural institutions such as the MLK Memorial Library, Charles Sumner School, Anacostia Arts Center, and the Anacostia Community Museum. Spears is also a 2024 D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities grant recipient and 2025 Art Bank Recipient.

Image caption: Autumn Spears, A Gentle Reminder, 2024; Mixed media painting, 29.5 x 34 in.; Photo by Bria Edwards