I’m a self taught fiber mixed media installation artist here in Burien Washington.
If you would like to hear about upcoming events please email me at dannymansmith@gmail.com
Working with my hands has saved my life.
Instead of being the fastest or the smartest I found my strength, sanctuary and cushion from the world in making art.
My grandma gave me my first art lessons when I was very young. She sewed my clothes growing up and this influenced me to later teach myself how to use the sewing machine – allowing imperfections, emotions, and child like energies to fuel and inspire me to create.
I want to push myself to make art with the things around me, to be resourceful and to follow my heart’s inspiration.
Making something wearable, drawing with sharpies or the sewing machine, sculpting, to creating installations that incorporate all of these elements has become my spirituality – my survival..
Exhibitions
The Lakeshore, “Traveling Textiles”, October 11, 2018 – February 2, 2019, Seattle, WA
BallardWorks, “Textures”, August 16th – September 5th, 2018, Seattle ,WA
Mt. Baker Artspace, “Opera Navale”, with Alexis Ortiz, August 11- September 1, 2018, Seattle, WA
Aljoya Thorton Place, “Like Mother, Like Daughter ” {Plus A Few Sons}, June 2 – September 9, 2018, Seattle, WA
Scarlet Ibis Gallery, “No Closets”, June1 – July31, 2018, Burien, WA
Phinney Neighborhood Center, “2018 Seattle Recycled Arts Festival”, May 11 & 12, 2018, Seattle, WA
Valise Gallery, “Love show”, February 2 – 24, 2018, Vashon, WA
Ida Culver House Broadview, “High in Fiber”, January 16 – May 12, 2018, Seattle, WA
The Maverick, “Eight Doorways”, an evolving site specific installation over the course of three months, January-March, 2018, Burien,WA
Burien Community Center, “Drawings and Textile Work”, January 9 – 31, 2018, Burien, WA
Mt. Baker Artspace, “Fiber Show and Sale”, December 9, 2017, Seattle, WA
Black Zia Cantina, “B-Town Beat Art Walk Group Show”, July 2017, Burien, WA
Mt. Baker Artspace, “Fierce Femme Summer Edition”, July 2017, Seattle, WA
Mt. Baker Artspace, “Make-Do Quilt Show”, March 11, 2017, Seattle, WA
COCA, Center On Contemporary Art, “35 Live”, March23, 2016, Seattle, WA
Kirkland Arts Center, “Mrs. Goldberg: A Curated Life” , June 2015, Kirkland ,WA
Gay City Health Project, “Imaginative Explorations“, April 9 – May 14, 2015, Seattle, WA
Charles Allis Art Museum, “Unis: The Origin of the Unicorn”, August-September, 2014, Milwaukee, WI
Museo Gallery, “I Can’t Believe It’s Fiber”, May 2014, Langley, WA
Burien Community Center, “New Beginnings”, April-May, 2014, Burien, WA
Blowing Sands/Laura Frost Fine Arts Gallery, “Proletkult III”, September 14, 2013, Seattle, WA
Phinney Center Gallery, “Dancing Surfaces”, Surface Design Association Washington, August 7 – September 27, 2013, Seattle, WA
Tashiro-Kaplan Artist Lofts Building, “12th Annual 30 Day Art Challenge Exhibit”, December , 2012, Seattle, WA
PerficalSense Studio Art Salon, “Grand Reinvention”, November 3, 2012, Evanston, IL
Spazio Libenter, “esserci, non essendoci” , group exhibition Milano, Italy , April 18-19, 2012
Believe Inn, “Hold Fast To Dreams”, group show December 2 – December 24, 2011
Tsubo Salon, “Lost + Found”, Anca Gray and Danny Mansmith, November 12, 2011
Woolen Mill Gallery, “Offshoots”, Warmfarm resident artist alumni, August 26-September 10, 2011
PerficalSense Studio, “LeUm’phor: an Exploration” works by Danny Mansmith and Alexis Ortiz, April 16, 2011
Hyde Park Art Center,”Not Just Another Pretty Face”, November 20, 2010 – February 20, 2011
Lillstreet Art Center, “Danny Mansmith, Solo Exhibition”, September 17 – October 8, 2010
Avram Eisen Gallery, “Bert Menco and Danny Mansmith”, October 9 – 28, 2009
Artists of Eastbank Building, “Conversations in Clay: Merging Media”, October 10 – 17, 2009
Noyes Cultural Arts Center, “Stitch Me A Story”, September 16 – November 10, 2009
Santa Fe Weaving Gallery, “Body Sculpture”, June 9 – 15, 2009
Northern Illinois University Art Museum, “Crossing Threads, Crossing Boundaries”, January 20, 2009 – March 6, 2009
MN Gallery, Solo Exhibition, “Life Through The Sewing Machine”, October 24, 2008 – November 9, 2008
Indie Collective Gallery, September 6 – October 24, 2008
Hyde Park Art Center, “Not Just Another Pretty Face”, October 18, 2008 – January 17, 2009
Foutainhead Gallery, “Pens & Needles”, works by Shawna Handke and Danny Mansmith, June 4-June 21, 2008
Ridge Art,”Fabric and Fabricators: Four Textile Artists”, May 16 – August, 2008
Hyde Park Art Center, Gallery 4, “Soft Life “,January 20 -March 30, 2008
Hyde Park Art Center, “Double Walkers, Transfigurations Thru Fashion”, December 7-16, 2007
Gallery 659, “Off The Wall”, November 27-December 30, 2007
Suffolk Museum,”Women of Steel, Men of Cloth,” September 15, 2007-October 21,2007
NeoCon 2007,Herman Miller Chicago Showroom,June 11,12,13,2007
Gallery659,”4BY4″,May4-May30,2007
Gallery659,”Men @ Work”,April 6-April 30,2007
Gallery659,”Founders Show”,March 2-March 31,2007
Artstream Studios,”Extreme Textiles” March 1-April 30,2007
Edna Carlesten Gallery at University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point,”Clothing as Metaphor”,March 11-April 8,2007
Chicago Cultural Center,”Stitching Salon” January 2,2007-February 28,2007, fiber based sculpture
Artformz Alternative Gallery,”It’s SO unfair”November 11-January 9,2007,installation of 7’ tall fabric,wood figure with 600 paper flowers
Judy A Saslow Gallery, “Scene in Chicago”, October 20-Nomember 25 ,2006 fiber sculpture and two dimensional works
Old Market,”Static”,October 13-31,2006,collaborative works with Theaster Gates
Artformz Alternative Gallery,”Extraordinary Worlds”,September 9-November 7, 2006,two dimensional and three dimensional fiber based works
Art on Armitage, a window gallery, June 2006,installation of mixed media sculpture
Morpho Gallery, “Visions of the Unknown”, April-May 2006, fiber sculpture
Artformz, “Colorblind”, March-April 2006, Miami, FL, work made with a limited color palate
Reversible Eye, “Doll and Puppet Show”, January 2006, fabric and paper dolls
Cornelia Arts Building, “Between the Lines”, May 2005, fiber sculpture, bags, and wearable art
Morpho Gallery, “Dream=Land”, December 2005, paper and fabric sculpture
Gross Park Sculpture Invitational, “Look Up. Look In. Look Out.”, flora and fauna inspired fiber sculpture
Izzo/Jones Gallery, “Artropolis”, 2004, paper and fabric sculpture
Soul Café, “Frayed Knot”, 2004, fabric Sculpture and paper and fabric collage
Gross Park Sculpture Invitational, Rejectamenta, 2004, found paper and fabric sculpture
Plastiscene Loft, “33 1/3”, 2004, fabric and paper sculpture
Gallery 203, “Want to Wear”, 1994, clothing and paper and fabric collageArt Shows
Other Events
Soft Sculpture: Dolls and Figures class at my home studio, October 13 and 14, 2018
Vision 20/20 Show and Sale, Burien Community Center, November 18, 2017
Illuminated Orphans, October 12, 2017
Gift Show, Burien Art Gallery, December 2- 24, 2016
Vision 20/20 Show and Sale, Burien Community Center, November 19, 2016
Seattle Sampling Art Tour, December 4-6, 2015
Vision 20/20 Show and Sale, Burien Community Center, November 21, 2015
Seattle Sampling Art Tour, December 5-7, 2014
B Town Beat, downtown Burien’s monthly art walk, guest artist at Start Fresh Market, June 5th, 2014, 6pm-9pm
Bazaar Girls Yarn Shop, “Featured Artist”, Saturday 7, 2013, during the Port Townsend, WA Gallery Walk and through the month of September 2013
OddMall Seattle, Emporium Of The Weird, September 22, 2013, 10am-6pm, Lynwood Convention Center, Washington
Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show, July 13 and 14, 2013, 11am-5pm, Seattle Center Exhibition Hall
4th Annual Gifted Holiday Bazaar 2012, December 9th, noon – 5pm, Feedback Lounge
3rd Annual Artful Giving Sale, December 1st and 2nd, 2012, PercifalSense Studio and Art Salon
Artwear Unlimited Fall/Winter Show and Sale October 24-26, 2012
Artwear Unlimited Spring/Summer Show and Sale April 25-27, 2012
Wrapped Figure workshop February 4, 2012, Art In”stitch”tute Chicago
2nd Annual Artful Giving Sale December 2-4, 2011, PerficalSense Studio
Artist Wreath Invitational, lill Street Art Center, November 30, 2007
Artist Trunk Show and Sale at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, October 26, 2007, Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28,2007
Cornelia Arts Holiday Sale, Cornelia Fine Arts Building, 2003, 2004, 2005
Out There Art Fair, Wood Street Gallery, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Art for Charity Days, Cornelia Fine Arts Building, 2004
Workshops And Other Events
Wormfarm Institute Residency October 12 – 18, 2009
Chicago Gardens Past & Present, collaboration with Cathi Bouzide, June 17 – August 16, 2000
The Fields Project, Oregon, IL June 14 – June 22, 2008
Artist in Residence at Caro D’Offay Gallery for “The Colorist Chess” October, 2007
Ravenswood Art Walk, 2006, 2007, 2008
Symposium on Contemporary Textiles in Illinois at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, The Boys Meet the Girls Panel, Sunday, November 4, 2007
Lillstreet Art Center,Sculptural hand bag class late summer and early fall sessions 2007
Elm Place Middle School,discussion about my work and demonstration of collaged musical instruments with the themes of the Harlem Renaissance given to the 6,7,and 8 graders of Beth Lucker’s art classes
Braeside Elementary School, Art Night, 2006 – fabric doll demonstration
Fabric, 2005, Roosevelt University – demonstration of fiber art methods
Art: The Fiber of Education, 2004, Michigan Art Education Association, Battle Creek Michigan – artist talk and demonstration of fiber art methods Altered
In The Collection Of
Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery
Herman Miller
J. Robert Duncan
Ruth Horwich
I love your old long statement…….
ah thanks Alexandra…….smiles to you!
Вы на многое вдохновили меня !!! Спасибо!!!
ah thank you for looking in today, sendin smiles to you !
I admire how you articulate your artist’s path, and I love your work with buttons!
it’s not easy for anyone to truly be who they are in this world of conformity but we all have to try, sendin smiles out to you blueghostfirefly!
beautiful inspiration
smiles to you Thea
Thank you for your work! I am also a self-taught artist , and working with my hands has saved my life as well and its my spiritual food , my everything. I also have 2 cats and spend my days besides them trying to build a plan for my art since I decided not to work in the midst of stress and the urge of money. I am a Portuguese living in Macau, China. Thank you again.
Hi Ines, thank you, sendin you big smiles and keep going the world needs more of us making things !
Danny, great work and a beautiful blog you have. While I work primarily in metal, I do blog frequently about other local area fiber artists. Just added myself as a new follower. Nice to meet you! -Patricia
Hi Patricia, thank you for your interest in what i do, it was two years that i moved here from Chicago, so it is so great to meet other local creatives and new friends !, sendin smiles to you
es maravillosa el trabajo que realizas, me encanta
many thanks !
i love your work :)) thank you for sharing!
Sendin my smiles to you !!
Thank You Joana for looking !!
My heart jumped high when I came across your creative world……Thank you so very much for sharing. You are an amazing artist!!
Thank You Meesha for taking the time to come by and to leave these kind words, sendin all my good thoughts out to you !!
what an amazing work, thank you very much for sharing your poetry!
Many Thanks for stopping in and looking !!