Art and Refuge
The quilted works of chelsea danburg
january 17 to february 28, 2026
artist talk/Luminous Artbook Launch
Saturday February 21 at 7pm
chelsea dANBURG
Chelsea Danburg’s quilted works explore the intersection of material, process, and embodied experience. Constructed with natural wool and fabric, each piece investigates warmth as both physical reality and conceptual territory – a refuge made visible through layered textiles.
The work ranges from lightweight quilts to weighted pieces, wearable forms, and large-scale throws. Through deliberate repetition and slow construction, Danburg creates objects that resist the accelerated pace of contemporary life. These are works that insist on being experienced directly, to envelop the body, giving refuge.
Artist statement
I make quilts that exist between art object and lived experience. Using fabrics, wool, and hand stitching, I build layered structures where interior materials emerge and construction remains visible.
The stitching has evolved – from symmetrical patterns to more fluid marks, circles tossed like stones across the water, overlapping forms that evoke the expansive celestial skyscape. The work is wildly imperfect – raw edges, rough seams, time held within each piece. I’m interested in the body’s relationship to object, in warmth as both sensation and idea, in the radical act of insisting on slowness.
The work is about gathering: materials, time, shelter, the self. About what accumulates when we allow ourselves to pause. I seek a kind of luminosity in the making – not decoration, but the quality of presence that emerges from sustained, deliberate practice. These pieces demand physical engagement; in return they offer refuge.
CV
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 — Art & Refuge: The Quilted Works of Chelsea Danburg, Studio Andreas, Stamford, CT
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 — Identifying Emotions, The Norwalk Art Space, Norwalk, CT
2023, 2024 — Rhode Island School of Design Craft Fair, Providence, RI
2022 — Rhode Island School of Design Craft Fair, Providence, RI
PUBLICATIONS
2026 — Luminous (artbook of poetry & photography)
2023 — Painted by Rain (artbook of poetry & photography)
2020 — The Expand System (artist planner)
GRANTS & AWARDS
2023 — Launchpad Grant, Connecticut Women’s Business Development Council
2011 — Grant for Woven House Installation, Connecticut Friends School
ARTIST TALKS
2023 — Painted by Rain book launch at the Rowayton Library, Norwalk Library, HAYVN Health Summit and The Norwalk Art Space
TEACHING
Textile Arts Instructor, Studio Andreas, Stamford, CT, 2024 – present
Fiber Arts Teacher, Connecticut Friends School, Wilton, CT, 2009 – 2011
EDUCATION
BFA Textile Design, Rhode Island School of Design, 1996
ArtBooks by chelsea danburg
Painted by Rain and Luminous are Chelsea Danburg's debut and sophomore limited edition artbooks of photography and poetry. Their unique tactile, accordion folded construction, photography and poetry create a multifaceted experience that is strikingly profound. They are deeply personal, while at the same time offer refuge to readers.
Both artbooks are created in collaboration with design synergist Monica Austin. They measure 7” by 7” when folded, and unfold to 13 1/2 feet long. The viewer can turn the pages like normal books, or unfold them to see the whole fluid piece. They are printed and hand constructed in West Haven, CT, the first press is 100 copies. $100 each.
About Gallery Andreas
Founded by artist and educator Mark Andreas in 2025, Gallery Andreas is dedicated to celebrating nature, community, and the creative experience.
The Gallery developed organically from his Stamford, CT art school Studio Andreas, which offers expert instruction in woodworking, textile and ceramic arts. Studio Andreas provides a space to experience firsthand the wonder of nature through the practice of art and craft.
Gallery Andreas expands upon that mission by featuring curated art exhibitions, classes, and unique events that explore the many ways nature, community and creativity interconnect. It serves as both a hub for the Studio Andreas community, and a window to the wider world.