(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The BrassWorks Gallery presents Sharp Teeth, Long Tongues!, an exhibition of works by Ann Vollum, a New Jersey–based fiber and mixed media artist whose practice intertwines storytelling, cultural memory, and environmental consciousness. The exhibition showcases a range of Vollum's welt-felted sculptures and intricately embroidered textile works, each piece pulsating with color, texture, and imagination. It runs from February 8 - May 22, 2026.
Vollum's artistic practice is deeply rich and evocative, blending elements of personal history, cultural influence, and sustainability. Her intricate, meditative process transforms repurposed materials into narrative-rich works that invite viewers into a space of reflection, discovery, and wonder. Influenced by her childhood in Africa and travels in Pakistan and India, Vollum's iconography and use of pattern reflect a vibrant cultural tapestry.
Through her art, Ann Vollum creates a dynamic exchange between artist and viewer, inviting each observer to bring their own narrative into conversation with her mysterious, emotive forms. Her work stands as a testament to the transformative power of material, memory, and imagination.
Her pieces—ranging from darker, embroidered narratives to playful, organic fiber sculptures—evoke both the natural and the psychological. Works such as Dragon's Breath! and Sea Dragon! embody this duality: visceral yet whimsical, these forms spill their "internal guts" outward, offering both rebellion and revelation. Vollum's imagery, oscillating between the mythic and the tangible, explores the boundaries between beauty and unease, between self and story.
There will be an Opening Reception on Sunday, March 1, 2026 from 2:00pm-4:00pm.
Vollum has exhibited extensively throughout New Jersey and internationally in South Korea, including shows at the Newark Museum of Art, New Jersey State Museum, Noyes Art Garage (Atlantic City), Museum of Early Trades & Crafts (Madison), Art Fair 14C (Liberty State Park and the Armory, Jersey City), and the 14C Gallery. Her art has been featured in publications and exhibition catalogues such as those by the Seoul-Hangang Biennale, Noyes Museum of Art, New Jersey State Museum, and The Language of Making: Visual Voices from the Textile Study Group of New York.
The BrassWorks Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Housed in a beautifully restored 1930s industrial building that once served as the George Rutledge Etched Brass Works, the gallery honors Montclair's rich history while supporting a vibrant contemporary art community.
BrassWorks is located at 105 Grove Street in Montclair, New Jersey. Originally constructed during the early twentieth century, 105 Grove Street was, for many years, home to the family-owned George Rutledge Etched Brass Works company. The property was converted into a unique professional office building in 2007 and provides space for a community art gallery. Upon learning the site's heritage as home to a family-owned brass works company, the partners decided to transform the building while honoring its past by naming it BrassWorks on Grove. The present building combines modern amenities with the faithful restoration of the original 1930 architectural details.
