Marie Watt's Textile Practice Weaves Indigenous Craft with Collective Memory
Marie Watt, affiliated with the Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nation of Indians, produces textile art that combines Indigenous teachings, community engagement, and Haudenosaunee protofeminism. Her artistic endeavors encompass printmaking, painting, textiles, and sculpture, frequently utilizing reclaimed wool blankets, tin jingles, and embroidery floss. Notable pieces include 'Long Night Eclipsed (Winter Solstice)' (2025), 'Solstice' (2025), 'Singing Everything: Crescendo (Staccato)' (2023), 'Sky Dances Light' (2024), 'Skywalker/Skyscraper (Quiver)' (2023), and 'Companion Species (Call and Response)' (2022). The sewing and printing circles foster storytelling among participants. 'Singing Everything: Crescendo (Staccato)', created with the Whitney Museum of American Art, engaged over 300 individuals in March 2022. 'Skywalker/Skyscraper (Quiver)' reaches 108 inches and includes a steel I-beam, paying homage to Indigenous ironworkers. Watt's work appeared in 'HERE AND NOW' at Museum Ludwig, Cologne in 2026.
Key facts
- Marie Watt is a member of the Turtle Clan of the Seneca Nation of Indians.
- She works with reclaimed wool blankets, tin jingles, embroidery floss, and thread.
- Her practice includes sewing and printing circles where participants exchange stories.
- Singing Everything: Crescendo (Staccato) (2023) was developed with the Whitney Museum of American Art.
- Over 300 people participated in embroidery circles for Singing Everything in March 2022.
- Tin jingles in her work reference the Jingle Dress Dance from Ojibwe tradition during the 1918 influenza pandemic.
- Skywalker/Skyscraper (Quiver) (2023) is a 108-inch sculpture combining reclaimed blankets, tin jingles, and a steel I-beam.
- Her work was included in HERE AND NOW at Museum Ludwig, Cologne in 2026.
Entities
Artists
Institutions
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Museum Ludwig
Locations
- Cologne
- Germany