Springfield artist’s work chosen for international exhibition

Springfield artist Annette Eshelman's fiber art sculpture "Work Ethic" was chosen to be in the 2025 Fiberart International 2025 exhibit at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh beginning June 20.

Credit: Contributed

Credit: Contributed

Springfield artist Annette Eshelman's fiber art sculpture "Work Ethic" was chosen to be in the 2025 Fiberart International 2025 exhibit at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh beginning June 20.

There were 400 applicants from 30 countries competing for 36 slots in the upcoming 2025 Fiberart International 2025 exhibit at Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh. One of the chosen is a Springfield artist.

Annette Eshelman’s needle-felted sculpture piece “Work Ethic” will be on display beginning June 20 through Aug. 30 at Brew House Arts as part of that distinguished exhibition. She was also asked to teach a one-week needle felted sculpture class at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, Pa. prior to the exhibition.

Eshelman, whose fiber art has been displayed all over Ohio and neighboring states and worked with local organizations including the Springfield Museum of Art and Project Jericho, admitted she was hesitant to enter such a big exhibition, but found out you never know if you don’t try.

“As artists, we enter a lot of exhibitions we don’t get into, so it’s a thrill to be chosen,” she said.

Her needle-felted piece is almost life-size, with wool wrapped around a wired armature with mixed media, almost four-feet tall, depicting a woman driving a swan with another in a cage holding an egg. She said the pieces was inspired by her daughters leaving for college and as an empty-nester wondering if she did the job she set out to do as a mom.

It was recognized in the Ohio Designer Craftsmen Best of 2024 exhibit prior to this.

Eshelman will be at the gallery on June 21 with other participating artists prior to doing the one-week workshop. Fiber art has gained a strong following in the art community nationwide recently and she’s glad to be part of.

“It’s something I’ve been wanting to do and this is the perfect place for this in a camp-like facility,” Eshelman said.

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