ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Fiber Artist Dana Baldwin was born in the Garden District of New Orleans, Louisiana. Her artistic process began as a child when she observed and studied textile masterpieces while living and traveling in Europe. The daughter of a military doctor father and an artist mother, Baldwin received a B.A. from Bradley University and a master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, then interned at the prestigious Mayo Clinic (Rochester Methodist Hospital) as a clinical dietitian.
As an award-winning fiber artist, Baldwin has been heavily influenced by the colors, textures and patterns of Spain, Portugal and northern Africa. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, with shows at the Art Gallery of Vogue Knitting LIVE (New York City), the Woman Made Gallery (Chicago), the East Gippsland Art Gallery (Victoria, Australia), among other exhibits and venues.
Baldwin’s one-of-a-kind fabric and fiber creations have garnered numerous awards. She was awarded “Best in Show” at the INOVA Art of Innovation, a national competition of over 850 works of art where artists showcased their creativity and resiliency during COVID. She received the “Viewer’s Choice Award” at the Mancuso Mid-Atlantic XXI Quilt and Wearable Art Festival in Hampton, Virginia. Judge Cindy Brick called her work, “A real show stopper! Unique. We were impressed by (the) gown’s overall impact and use of humble materials for a more sophisticated effect.” The Bay School Rustic Art Show awarded one of Baldwin’s pieces “Best in Show,” with judge Ken Winebrenner saying, “For most outrageous ‘rustication’ by definition, with grace of form over dubious function, irony over practicality. Rusticity toward art.” Her work also received honors at the Virginia Fall Fiber Festival and the ArtPop Billboard Contest and is currently featured at Methodist College and the Peoria Riverfront Museum.
Ms. Baldwin recently completed an artist’s residency at Prairie Center of the Arts in Peoria, Illinois. She was also recognized with a special Mayoral Proclamation, both for her impressive artistic achievements and for her contributions to promoting small businesses along Peoria’s Main Street corridor, where she ran a studio and popular shop called The Sheared Edge.