ReWoven

Exhibition Dates: Tuesday, April 7-Friday, April 10, 2026

BFA Thesis Exhibition by Zo Russell (Photo)

Artist Statement: 

ReWoven focuses on women working in regenerative agriculture in Central Illinois, bringing attention to Teresa Brockman, owner and operator of Sunny Lane Farms in Eureka, IL and Cynthia Edmonds-Cady, owner and operator of Shady Grove Farms Illinois in Normal, IL. This body of work explores documentation through digital and analog photography, cyanotype, mixed media photo sculpture, and textiles such as weaving, patchwork, and embroidery.

Regenerative agriculture is a land management philosophy that sees agriculture as an interconnected system focusing on improving soil health, biodiversity, and reducing water pollution. Some practices of regenerative agriculture are cover cropping, rotational grazing, no-till farming, agro-forestry, silvopasture, composting, and reducing fossil fuels including pesticide usage. Regenerative agriculture practices tend to take more time, expenses, and effort. However, over the years, these approaches capture more carbon and leads to greater soil health making for more resilient and well-nourished crops.

Female farmers in the Midwest are persevering through what is still a male dominated field. Women face barriers to obtaining land, resources, and economic growth especially in the Midwest where industrial agriculture operations consume a large sum of farmable land. This work documents their unseen labor in our local food system.

Time, community, and research-based creation emerged as themes in this body of work. I used labor intensive processes such as medium format photography, cyanotype, and textiles to reflect the hours of attention that is put into regenerative agriculture practices. To reflect on the quality of care, I have woven a connection between these artistic practices, and the extensive time and effort put into regenerative agriculture. Medium format photography and cyanotype are time-consuming procedures in which the process of making an image needs patience to be created. Similarly, I worked with textiles to explore fabric and fibers to show the interwoven relationships on these farms. The process of planning, creating, and sitting with my thoughts and research mimic the attention I observed in these women.

Community is vital for life to flourish. At the center of this body of work is the community that Teresa and Cynthia have fostered and cared for, and becoming a part of this community deeply shaped my artwork and research. I aim to bring people together and share the knowledge of these farms with the local community and strengthen the relationship between farmers and consumers.