SIOUX CITY -- Terri Parish McGaffin stood on the sidewalk outside of the Sioux City Art Center Wednesday morning and exclaimed, "It's so beautiful," as she gazed upward at a section of "Razzle Dazzle," a vibrant large-scale fabric installation draping a brick veneer wall on the south side of the building. McGaffin wiped tears from her eyes alongside Amanda Browder, a Brooklyn-based artist who has spent the last year sewing strips of fabric for the installation with members of the community, including McGaffin, who is an artist herself. Browder estimated that somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 to 500 Siouxlanders helped her create the installation, which consists of at least 25,000 square feet of fabric.
They gathered at public sewing days that were held at places such as the Aalfs Downtown and Morningside Branch libraries, Briar Cliff University, the Siouxland Center for Active Generations and Jefferson Beer Supply. Since the draping began Monday ahead of ArtSplash's 30th anniversary, Browder said she has been feeling a mix of stress and excitement. The sewing process began way back on Labor Day weekend 2023, during the 29th ArtSplash on the Art Center's campus.
ArtSplash is the Art Center's annual fundraising event. This year's two-day art festival kicks off on Aug. 31.
Amanda Browder, right, hugs Sioux City artist Terri Parish McGaffin in front of a portion of Browder's art work "Razzle Dazzle" that is being installed on the exterior of the Sioux City Art Center Wednesday.