ALT Show 2026

Displayed at Revelry during May 2026

Revelry brings back our annual group show, ALT, for the 7th year! This show is an exhibition that requires artists to create work made out of alternative, unconventional materials.

For our 7th anniversary of ALT, each artist has created their work on the theme of storybook motifs and fairytales. This may take the form of a still life, landscape, portrait, or abstract piece. With the unconventional medium, artists explore what it means to create using uncommon objects.

Featured Artists: Ada Asenjo, Albertus Gorman, Autumn Fox, Brandon Kells, Eden Wray, Grace Henderson, Gretchen Leachman, Herb Bradshaw, Kelly Zellers, Kim Kelting, Lily Angeline, Makenna Schibler, Needa Hameed, Renee Golway, and Teri Burt

Devotion to Humility: Absolve my Ignorance, by Eden Wray

Materials : Polymer Clay, plaster and concrete, resin, paper, felted wool, wood, paint and ink, dried foliage, vintage pearls and diamonds.

Inspired by the fable of the tortoise and the hare.

"Folktales and Fables hold so much diversity in what they teach us. I find it deeply interesting to discover what the same text can mean to different people, influenced by their culture and experiences. These commonplace childhood tales can become spiritually significant parables when you extend the effort to understand them.

I am greatly inspired by the spiritual guidance found in stories, so I married that with personal influences to transform “Tortoise and the Hare” into something a Catholic Grandmother might use in her home to pray upon humility. I have always particularly loved this story, just from being a child a who loved animals, but now as an adult I can learn so much more about it by framing it in the context of my Appalachian roots and family religion. Slow and steady might win the race, but what does it say of arrogance and slothfulness?

Despite this being a newly made piece of art, I want it to look and feel like something that has been in your family for generations. An object of devotion, an altar to the love of storytelling, and a playful celebration of how media made for children can resonate so much farther into our lives." - Eden Wray

Firedancer, by GLee

Materials: appliquéd fabric reinforced with interfacing + paint on cavas

Inspired by the legend of Rumplestiltskin

Materials: primarily book pages adhered to a sculpted wire base

Created from literature by Lewis Carroll - literally - this detailed paper sculpture depicts Alice at her smallest. Looking to the Cheshire Cat, Alice remarks she doesn't want to go among mad people. The cat responds, "Oh, you can't help that. We're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."

Its monochromatic nature gives a clean and simple feel, in contrast to the overwhelming human emotions associated with being surrounded by chaos.

Mad Tea Party, by Gretchen Leachman

Heer Ranjha, by Needa Hameed

Materials: made entirely using thread and beads sewn into canvas

Heer Ranjha is classic Punjabi folk romantic tragedy, retold by many poets throughout history and arguably one of the most popular love stories in South Asia. This tale is of two lovers from families of different clans. Ranjha, depicted with his flute, is a traveler who has taken work for Heer’s father herding cattle. Heer, depicted with her axe-shaped fan, falls in love with his carefree nature, which contrasts with her strict and regimented home. The two fall in love, but due to their differing social standings, they must keep their relationship a secret.

There are variations in how the story progresses, but regardless of the retelling, the story ends with Heer being poisoned on their wedding day by a vindictive family member, and the grief-stricken Ranjha then consuming the poison himself. The couple is said to be buried in Heer’s hometown Jhang, where lovestruck youth now are able to visit their mausoleum.

This depiction of the story utilizes varied line quality and beaded adornments to depict the backgrounds of the two lovers; Heer is emerging from a rigid, structured environment- depicted using geometric shapes and straight lines. Although it is luxurious, with her adorned in jewels, she feels constrained due to the expectations set on her. Ranjha, the cheerful wanderer playing his flute in the fields, is framed by the organic swirling shapes of greenery and the fragrant jasmine flowers characteristic of the region.

Nick Chopper, by Brandon Kells

Materials: Three-dimensional intarsia mosaic made from scrap wood (including walnut, red grandis, maple, pine, and poplar), glue and oil paint

Based on the OZ stories of L Frank Baum.

Taking inspiration from the darker tone of the novels, more akin to Grimm Fairytales, this work centers on the Tin Woodman carving in his woodshed. In the origin story, he loved a munchkin woman and such love was forbidden by the wicked witch. A cursed axe, influenced by the Wicked Witch of the East, severed his limbs one by one, with a tinsmith replacing each with tin. Piece by piece he replaced himself with metal. Ultimately losing his heart, he was then incapable of human love. He eventually rusted in the forest.

Materials: acrylic paint, discarded fabrics and broken jewelry on gallery wrapped canvas

This work by Renée Golway transforms the narrative of Little Red Riding Hood, shifting her from vulnerability to agency. Centered and unflinching, she stands in power, defined not by violence but by survival. Denim forms her hair, referencing Denim Day and confronting the realities of violence against women. Lace doilies evoke a sense of love, safety, and the comfort of her grandmother’s home, while scattered flowers recall the exploitation of her kindness. The wolf’s fur is now being worn by Little Red, marking a reversal of power - she is no longer prey, but victor. This piece holds the tension between harm and resilience, where survival becomes an act of reclamation.

Big Bad Little Red, by Reneé Golway

Happy Endings, by Terri Burt

Materials: a vintage baby changing blanket, vintage fabrics, coffee bags, placemats, yogurt foil, a straw hat, and foam

"I love finding materials that are non-recyclable and that I can sew on to a quilt. It’s all about giving objects another purpose instead of going to the landfill. I have had a great opportunity of digging in people’s homes, and purchasing Vintage clothing for my business, The Nitty Gritty.

Plus, acquiring unique materials that I can use in my art pieces.

I enjoy making crazy colorful and fun quilts that I hope bring joy to people."

Judy, by Makenna Schibbler