Jessie Henson: Everything Comes Next

Using an industrial sewing machine, Jessie Henson builds on the language of postwar American abstraction, while writing a new chapter in the long history of embroidery. Her Riley CAP Gallery exhibition features a selection of sewn paper works in vibrant colors, alongside several small bronze casts made from found embroideries that nod to her interest in the possibilities of thread.

What to expect

Henson repeatedly sews onto paper with delicate thread until the surface becomes dense and velvety, causing the paper to warp, crease, and tear. The exhibition includes richly colored sewn-paper works, pieces that incorporate shimmering gold leaf, several small bronze casts connected to her interest in thread, and a multi-component installation that turns one gallery wall into an undulating topography.

Why go

This Riley CAP Gallery exhibition at Joslyn Art Museum offers a focused look at an artist treating embroidery not as decoration, but as a force that can reshape paper, catch light, and connect craft histories with abstraction. For Omaha visitors interested in contemporary visual art, Jessie Henson: Everything Comes Next is a close-up study in texture, labor, color, and material transformation.