Award-winning artist Carol LeBaron at Customs House Museum & Cultural Center

Clarksville, TN – Through July 31st, the Crouch Gallery of the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is dripping in the vibrant hued textiles of award-winning artist Carol LeBaron.

Patterns of color extending up to fourteen feet are suspended from rods of repurposed wood, the effect of which is like a forest of violet, lemon, Indian red, sap green and cerulean blue.

The wool pieces were colored using clamp resist and acid dye techniques. One of LeBaron’s large pieces is titled “Repurposed” and extends 72 inches up the gallery wall.

The tapestry features fringes of cloth that museum visitors are invited to help “grow” across the floor. The few confined works in the show include a series of framed jacquards in a softer color palette. These pieces are woven at the artisan Oriole Mill in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

While LeBaron’s passion is in preserving the nature surrounding her every day life, there is also a nod to Matisse in the relaxed shapes of leaves and grasses with which she fills her hand-stitched wall hangings.

Carol says of her art: “My work is a combination of modern technology and ancient techniques. The inspiration for my fine art textiles comes from forms and colors found in nature. I use these elements to create pieces that guide the atmosphere of interior spaces through color and the inherent sound absorbing qualities of fiber. Because the themes in my work center around the beauty of the natural environment, my working process incorporates green practices of water conservation and natural energy to produce long lasting, beautiful works of art.”

Museum patrons will get a chance to speak with Carol about her textiles during a gallery talk on July 28th at 12:15pm. The event is part of the Customs House’s monthly Art & Lunch programs, which is free to the general public.

Life Source will be on exhibit through July 31. Located at the corner of Second and Commerce Streets, the Customs House Museum is the second largest general museum in Tennessee. For more information on above event contact Terri Jordan, Exhibits Curator, at 931.648.5780 or terri@customshousemuseum.org

About the Customs House Museum

Located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the State’s second largest general museum. The original portion of the building was constructed in 1898 as a U.S. Post Office and Customs House for the flourishing tobacco trade. Incorporating a number of architectural styles, the original structure is one of the most photographed buildings in the region.

With over 35,000 square feet of the region’s best hands-on activities and special events…people of all ages agree – the Customs House Museum is well worth the stop!

The Explorer’s Gallery is packed with fun, learning and fantasy in Aunt Alice’s Attic, McGregor’s Market and kitchen, and of course – the Bubble Cave! Finally, get “all aboard” to see our fantastic model trains. Our volunteer engineers “ride the rails” every Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $7.00, Senior Citizens and College ID $5.00, Ages 6 to 18 $3.00, and under six years and Museum members are free.

The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street. For more information, call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at www.customshousemuseum.org