I Felt So Many Things, New Interactive Exhibition by Artist Liz Canali
I Felt So Many Things, an exhibition of felt sculptures, wall art, and illuminated works by artist Liz Canali, will open with a reception on June 26 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at First Coast Cultural Center, 6000B Sawgrass Village Circle in Ponte Vedra Beach. The exhibition will be on display from June 26 through August 13. Suggested admission is $5.
“This exhibition invites visitors into Canali’s richly textured world, where color, light, and handmade felt combine to create immersive works,” explains Silvia Romero, FCCC’s Executive Director. She adds that Canali created an interactive center in addition to the exhibition, giving children at FCCC summer camps and other visitors a chance to “experience art in a tactile, imaginative, and welcoming environment.”
Canali, a Flagler Beach resident, says she makes her own felted fabric from wool roving, layering fibers with water, soap, and agitation to compress them into richly dimensional materials. Canali’s exhibition features sculptural vessels, wall pieces, and illuminated artworks inspired by beach walks, space launches, moonlight, and the natural rhythms of coastal life.
She says the title, I Felt So Many Things, reflects her process. “When I’m not sure what I want to do, I start with samples and small pieces, and something grows from that. The felt and the feeling all kind of go together.”
A former art teacher, Canali also created an interactive center with three stations, inviting young audiences to explore texture, pattern, and creativity. Canali, who spent most of her life in Massachusetts, is co-owner of a graphic arts studio with her husband and has a background in painting and jewelry-making.
In addition to the exhibition, Canali will lead a demonstration on July 18 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The fee is $10. She will demonstrate how she creates her felt designs, giving visitors a closer look at her process for making felted wall pieces through a combination of wet felting and needle felting techniques. The program will offer insight into the labor-intensive, hands-on craftsmanship that transforms soft fibers into expressive sculptural forms. For more information on this and other programs and events at FCCC, visit: https://firstcoastculturalcenter.org/.
