New UMGC Arts Exhibit Showcases Storytelling Through Fiber

Known for her abstract works of steel, polymer clay, and fiber, Sperry's focus is always on how to expand a medium.

"How does a particular medium play with another medium? I'm creating the form out of steel, which at first you think is hard and unforgiving, but it's actually fluid. And what happens when you add fiber, which is soft and motherly to this less forgiving material?" Sperry said. "It all comes from a desire to explore-exploration of material, and of myself with the material."

Her circular steel-and-fiber work, Turquoise Spiral, draws inspiration from a winter storm she witnessed while watching wild wolves in Yellowstone National Park, channeling deep blues, grays, and snow whites.

Another sculpture, Life Forms, is a seven-part steel and yarn installation woven with masonry nails. Conceived during a snorkeling trip in Belize, the structure evokes sea urchins and reef life. She noted that the piece has sparked dialogue among even the youngest art connoisseurs-children who see everything from deep space to microscopic organisms.