Emily Chen (Age 17) - based in Boston, MA

In traditional painting, artists build images through pigments, brushstrokes, and color. In contemporary textile art, however, thread itself can become a brushstroke, while fabric and fiber can take the place of paint. Anne von Freyburg’s work offers an interesting example. By combining textile techniques, embroidery, and fiber materials with the visual language of painting, she creates surfaces with unusual depth and complexity. Threads of different thicknesses and densities are layered,...

I visited Man-made Land by Caroline Monnet, an exhibition that combines art, architecture, and cultural history. Instead of traditional materials, Monnet uses industrial building materials such as plastic, insulation foil, and Tyvek—materials normally used to construct cities. Through cutting and repeating these materials into geometric, flower-like forms, the artist transforms construction elements into visual symbols of land and human intervention. The patterns are inspired by Indigenous...

As a high school student reporter, I had the opportunity to attend the 2025 XC Creative Art Contest award ceremony and exhibition. The event not only showcased outstanding student works, but also created space for dialogue and reflection—allowing me to see new possibilities for art in both the present and the future. With the support of Massachusetts State Representative Richard M. Haggerty and the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), awards were presented to the Top 6 student recipients as...