CALICO Dress NO. 2
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vermont, USA / 2023
Members of the local community added their stories to Calico Dress No. 2 ahead of and during The Red Dress exhibition at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, Vermont.
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The Southern Vermont Arts Center (SVAC) was the first arts organisation in the United States to exhibit The Red Dress as part of the garment's travels across the country 2023-2024 also taking in The Frick Pittsburgh and the Fuller Craft Museum.
Curated by Alison Crites, the SVAC exhibition was three years in the planning and explored the evolution of The Red Dress project including the development of the Calico Garment Initiative and launch of Calico Dress No. 2, Vermont's own collaborative piece.
After an open call, more than 15 people worked on Calico Dress No. 2 prior to the exhibition adding motifs representing individual identities alongside cultural and personal influences. Profiles of the contributors and interpretation materials explaining their designs were included in the exhibition and are also detailed in an online catalogue.
SVAC then invited members of the community and visitors to add their stories to Calico Dress No. 2 through an embroidery workshop led by Kirstie and further engagement activities during The Red Dress exhibition, resulting in a total of 58 contributions. Calico Dress No. 2 was later displayed with dresses No. 3 and 4 at the Fuller Craft Museum in the Spring of 2024 and later added to the permanent collection of the SVAC.
https://www.svac.org/class/red-dress/
OUR SUPPORTERS
A huge thank you to all who have given their time, energy, enthusiasm, advice, experience and support to The Red Dress project over the years.
In addition to the organisations below, funding has been gratefully received from a number of private donations and via three crowdfunding campaigns in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
In addition to the organisations below, funding has been gratefully received from a number of private donations and via three crowdfunding campaigns in 2020, 2022 and 2024.












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