LaVerne Kemp | Gallery Crawl | The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

colorful fabric tapestries hung behind a glass window

a closeup of one tapestry, showing fabric, string, mesh, and paint.

a closeup of one tapestry, showing fabric and beads.

a closeup of one tapestry, showing fabric and frayed string.

1 — Holdin Back the Blues

Handmade paper, woven fabric, beads

2 — Mendin and Patchin

Fabric, beads

“My passion for weaving started while attending California State Teachers College,( now California University of Pennsylvania) Initially, I wanted to be a teacher. I took a fiber class as an elective and it ended up being a life altering change. I always had the heart of an artist and I knew that I wanted to work for myself like many members of my family. In the end, art and education seemed to be my calling. That was a decision made 40 years ago and I haven't looked back.” - LaVerne Kemp

Today, LaVerne’s award winning textiles have become iconic in Pittsburgh’s fiber arts community. She’s known as an amazingly talented artist with a long history of quality art making. Her powerful artwork draws the viewer in through her adventurous use of color, pattern, motion and meaning. Over the years, LaVerne’s work has evolved from incredible woven clothing to include jewelry, greeting cards, wall hanging, sculptural dolls and home goods.

She explores and incorporates on and off loom weaving, hand made felt, traditional and Japanese Shibori dying techniques and beading to enhance her work.

Her work has been exhibited extensively across the US and featured multiple times in the Carroll Harris Simms National Black Art Competition and Exhibition in Dallas and has multiple awards from The African American Art Exhibition at Actors Theater in Louisville.

instagram.com/lavernekemp
lavernekempstudios.com