Exhibitions: 25 years of Dorothy Wright Liebes

October 3, 1942: On Friday, December 4, the Industrial Division of the Brooklyn Museum will open an exhibition of textiles by the American designer, Dorothy Wright Liebes. This exhibition, entitled “Twenty-Five Years of Dorothy Wright Liebes,” will be installed in the Entrance Gallery, first floor, where it will remain on view through February 7.

The exhibition is presented to demonstrate the expansion of Mrs. Liebes’ skill over a period of twenty-five years, and will include the newer power-loomed fabrics, which method reduces the cost of beautiful luxurious-looking fabrics, as well as examples from earlier years which reflect the various art movements that have influenced Mrs. Liebes’ designs.

The exhibits will include completed drapery panels, study swatches, upholstery pieces, bags, hats, and jackets. Together with these actual pieces will be shown photographs of houses, apartments and offices for which Mrs. Liebes has designed the fabrics, and photographs of the “weavery” in San Franciso, where Mrs. Liebes works on hand looms with her ten student-craftsmen.

Mrs. Liebes, as one of the leaders in American design, received in 1938 Lord and Taylor’s American Design Award for Textiles and has since served on their jury for these annual awards. Newman Marcus Company, famous fashion store of Dallas, Texas, has similarly recognized her genius, as did the American Institute of Decorators. Mrs. Liebes served on Secretary Hull’s Art Committee on Cultural Relations with the South American Republics, and was director of the art section of the Golden Gate International Exposition, as well as consultant to the New York World’s Fair. In 1938 Mrs. Liebes was also
awarded the Certificate of Honor by the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, for the hand-woven textiles which she had designed for use with architecture.

Mrs. Liebes not only designs for leading architects and interior decorators, but also makes materials for hats, shows, bags and coats created by outstanding designers both for the screen and leading retailers.

Mrs. Liebes uses the simplest materials to create new and different designs, and she does not depend on complexity of weave for her effects but rather on texture, scale, yarn and color. Some of the less frequently used but equally desirable materials handled by Mrs. Liebes are: rick-rack braid, cable cord, jute, Chinese ribbons and reeds, leather and plastic. However, Mrs. Liebes has shown great partiality and facility in the handling of cotton yarn.

As the Museum planned the exhibition to present the comprehensive story of the work of one of the great creative American spirits, so in connection with the exhibition Mrs. Liebes has planned two meetings because of her interest both as teacher and designer in sharing her experiences with students, teachers and technicians interested in weaving. The two meetings are as follows: December 5, at 11:00 A.M., “Weaving for Schools and Hospitals,” weaving as a rehabilitation activity; December 7, at 2:30 P.M., “Contemporary Fabrics – General Survey,” stressing the importance of fabrics in relation to architectural styles.

Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1942 - 1946. 10-12/1942, 199-200. View Original 1 . View Original 2