Threaded Bones
Jessica Critcher

From the artist:

My name is Jessica and I invite you to join me at the intersection between our relationships to animals; our cultural expectations around handicrafts and women’s labor; and the beauty to be found in our inevitable death and decay.

Bones are my favorite thing to make.

Whenever I feel upset or unsure or unlike myself, I draw a skull. The stillness and finality help me feel still as well. Our bones hold us up and give us shape and structure. They can withstand fire. They were our earliest tools. They can heal from a break and come back stronger. They also, usually, hopefully, remain a secret that will never see the light of day. I like to imagine what sorts of secrets a stranger, a patient, or a wild animal, might be keeping just below the surface.

The subjects featured in these pieces, animals all, lead different lives but coexist in the same fragile Alaska ecosystem. They also ultimately share the same fate, with varying levels of awareness and acceptance. From the artist to the ermine.

I express these ideas through textiles.

Fabric and thread as a medium are traditionally associated with quiet feminine domesticity and the home. In my experience these practices are often overlooked as “art” because they are made by women. Perhaps this bias persists because the subject matter often is cute or disarming, regardless of skill. But I have never been able to compartmentalize so neatly. Through the use of these colorful threads and soft, comforting fabrics, I hope you can examine mortality with curiosity instead of fear or detachment. The pull between these conflicting ideas is where I have always felt most comfortable.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness month, and the survivors and casualties of this epidemic, half of my proceeds from this show will be donated to the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

About the artist:

Jessica Critcher has always been crafty, but began working seriously with textiles in 2015. Her work was recently featured in Sitka’s Wearable Arts Show and the 2025 edition of Tidal Echoes. Her handmade garments placed in the “At Large” division of the National Make it With Wool competition in 2023 and 2024, and she’ll be entering again this year. She has appeared in galleries in New York and California, and is now proud to showcase her artwork in Alaska.

Jessica grew up in a Marine Corps family and is now a Coast Guard spouse, and has lived in both Carolinas, California, Nevada, Arizona, Virginia, Montana, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, as well as Alaska. She has traveled the country collecting friends, tattoos, and vintage salt shakers.

When she is not working a sewing needle, you can often find her wielding syringes in her role as a veterinary assistant. This affords her a unique vantage point in the lives and deaths of our animal friends, and has provided invaluable inspiration for this exhibit.