Textile artist Dawn Murtaugh opens an 18-piece exhibition titled “Steamboat Springs” on June 9, 2026, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Sharp Museum. The works are created entirely from recycled and reclaimed fabrics—including old jeans, wedding gowns, upholstery scraps, and costume remnants—and depict scenes of the universe, ocean, and trees. Murtaugh, who earned a degree in art from St. Xavier College and lives in Evansville, Indiana, began quilting later in life using fabrics inherited from her mother. The exhibition runs through August 28 and includes an artist talk and reception.
The exhibition matters because it directly addresses the environmental crisis of textile pollution and fast fashion, using art as a vehicle for sustainability awareness. Murtaugh’s practice embodies the “three R’s—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” and the show is part of SIU Carbondale’s broader sustainability pillar. The museum’s curator, T. Lance, connects Murtaugh’s work to the transformative accumulation effects seen in artist Tara Donovan’s practice, while a concurrent exhibition, “Fuller Futures — Art and Artifacts,” honors R. Buckminster Fuller’s legacy of environmental stewardship. Together, these shows position the Sharp Museum as a platform for eco-conscious art and dialogue.