Bethany Moody

May 2025

My practice grapples with the surplus of material culture by reclaiming discarded textiles from secondhand sources. Across two- and three-dimensional formats, I examine the connections among waste, place, and community. Reclamation is an embodied practice—transforming the discarded or undesirable into something generative. By embracing the unwanted and overlooked, I reshape narratives of worth, belonging and transformation.

Petrochemical permutations—acrylic, polyester, and plastic shopping bags—are juxtaposed with earthen wood, wool, and cotton fibers. These materials are processed through the labor-intensive processes of dyeing, knitting, crocheting, weaving, sewing and stuffing. Some surfaces are further activated with airbrush, marker, and ink to contrast immediacy against the slowness of craft.

The built environment and the body influence my lexicon, with forms like bricks, doors, pillows, and looms assembling into structural arrangements that evoke transition, support, and rest. Sensory objects such as plush toys and knit apparel inform my approach through their technical construction and intimate bodily connection. Recent sculptures resist fixity without a “correct” orientation to embody fluidity and acceptance.

Across formats, I cultivate haptic elements that bridge the gap between viewer and object. Juxtaposed textures—a slick, fused plastic bag against gnarled crochet—invite the eye to touch. Some works are explicitly interactive, meant to be tugged, hugged, kneaded, or pet, inviting gestures that can be erotic, humorous, or satisfying. Occasionally, viewers become participants, tucking messages into secret spots, weaving on an oversized loom, or dyeing salvaged sheets. Through these engagements, the gap between the viewer and object shrinks.

Bethany Moody (she/they, b.1989) is an educator and interdisciplinary artist that processes locally-sourced, reclaimed textile materials with craft-based techniques including natural dyeing and soft sculpture. Through forms that are at once abstract, bodily, and architectural, Moody considers the connections between the waste we create, the communities we choose, and the built and natural environments we inhabit.

Born and raised in central Alabama, Moody received her BFA in printmaking from the University at Montevallo and her MFA from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. Moody has shown nationally, most notably at Gallery 131 at the University of Mississippi, the Waiting Room (Minneapolis, MN), Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Buffalo, NY), Collar Works (Troy, NY), The Overlook Place (Chicago, IL), and Little Berlin (Philadelphia, PA). Moody has recently mounted solo exhibitions at The Gadsden Museum of Art, The Old Bailey Gallery, and COOP Gallery.

Currently, Moody is an artist-member of Ground Floor Contemporary in Birmingham, AL. Moody has received multiple grants for their work; in 2024, Moody was endowed with an Individual Artist Fellowship in Craft from the Alabama State Council of the Arts. Additional honors include a 2024 Best in Fiber Arts Award at the Robin Nance Metz memorial exhibition, among others. Moody has attended residencies at Troy University, Studio by the Tracks (SBTT) and the University of Montevallo in addition to virtual residencies with Vinegar Projects and Alonzo Pantoja.

Teaching and community engagement are central to Moody’s practice; she is currently an Instructor of Foundations at the University of Alabama and has led workshops at institutions such as Space One Eleven, Ground Floor Contemporary, and SBTT. In 2020, Moody, Julia Rose Sutherland and K. Macneil co-founded Studio Support Group, a virtual meeting structure resisting art world scarcity and competition.

More About the Artist

Follow Along on Instagram:

@MineralHouseMedia

Mineral House Media’s digital residency program is a series of online “takeovers,” wherein each selected artist is given full control of the Mineral House Media Instagram feed for 2 weeks. Residents complete an interview to be published at the close of their designated month. The residency also includes a group exhibition at the end of the year. It is a great way to experiment, showcase your practice in a new way, and develop a new following. If you wish to be considered for our 2024 residency year, Apply Here!