Return of the Residents: Material, Memory, & Contemporary Hands Exhibition

Artists reimagine traditional natural dyeing through experimental processes, material exploration, and new conceptual frameworks.

About this Event

Material, Memory, & Contemporary Hands invites visitors to experience how contemporary artists are reimagining traditional natural dye practices through experimental processes, material investigations, and fresh conceptual frameworks. On view from Friday, September 26 through Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at Studio Blue at in Baltimore, this free exhibition brings together works that highlight the enduring relevance of plant-based color and the intimate connections between material and memory in contemporary artmaking.

Visitors can expect to see innovative approaches to dyeing, textiles, and natural pigments alongside thought-provoking installations and objects that ask us to reconsider the relationship between tradition and experimentation.

The exhibition features works by: Diego Borgsdorf, Jordan Brown, Najee Haynes-Follins, Linnea Poole, Rosina Saqib, Angelique Scott, Samantha Sethi, Korcelia Saygbay, Savannah Wood, Vanessa Villareal and Jazz Williams.

The opening reception will be held on Friday, September 26, 2025, from 5:30–8:00 PM — an opportunity to meet the artists, learn more about their processes, and celebrate the vibrant community around natural dyeing and material exploration today.

Admission is free, with RSVP via Eventbrite.

About

Blue Light Junction is a heritage project focused on growing, processing and preserving natural dyes through their histories, traditions, enhancements and use in everyday objects. Operating within Blue Light Junction is The Alternative Color Lab, a natural dye processing center, Hidden Harvest “annex” dye garden & an educational facility.

Located at 209 McAllister Street in Central Baltimore’s Greenmount neighborhood, Blue Light Junction is an independently run studio, committed to uplifting the techniques and work of cultural practitioners of natural dyes as well as collectively growing and grounding our work in Baltimore City. More information at: www.bluelightjunction.com

Ibura Art & Research Residency (IARR) is a bi-annual program of Blue Light Junction (BLJ) that provides studio space, financial support, and thought partners for researchers of all backgrounds to explore a question or line of inquiry that is related to their practice and to the ongoing work at BLJ. Between 2022 & 2024, IARR has welcomed various researchers whose practices encompass a wide variety of experiences and expressions. The residency focuses on hands-on learning and experimentation that prompts play and uplifts inquiry while making space to deepen existing knowledge.

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