Bruce Price, Manifold 3 (detail), 2011, acrylic, pastel and fabric on canvas, 58” x 60”. Courtesy of Nick Ryan Gallery.
Debra Smith, Memory Trace Series (detail), 2024, pieced vintage silk, 7” x 7”. Courtesy of Nick Ryan Gallery.
Bruce Price & Debra Smith: Pieced Together
March 24 – August 17, 2025 @ Frasier
Guest curated by Nick Ryan
Frasier Retirement Community
350 Ponca Place, Boulder, CO 80303
Pieced Together presents the work of Bruce Price and Debra Smith, two artists who explore pattern as both medium and subject. Working with a variety of materials, the artists position pattern as the central, expressive element of their abstract works, and much of the work on view showcases their skill with textiles.
Bruce Price’s work in this exhibition spans various series from his distinguished career, including painted ornamental motifs and patterns, as well as fabric adhered to paneled surfaces and layered with multiple coats of gel medium. Through this process, Price employs textiles as a tool for examining cultural and gender-related themes.
Debra Smith’s work is crafted from deconstructed vintage fabrics—primarily Japanese kimono. She gives new life and meaning to garments through the act of cutting and piecing them together. Her abstract, two-dimensional compositions transform once-worn textiles into a new visual language.
Opening Reception
March 31, 2025
6-7:30pm
Free & open to the public
About the artists:
Bruce Price (b. 1958), based in Denver, CO, is the former Director of the Institute for Experimental Studies at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (RMCAD) and a founding resident advisor at RedLine Contemporary Art Center in Denver. He holds a BFA in painting from RMCAD and an MFA in interdisciplinary studies from Maine College of Art. His work has been exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions in New York and Denver, and is held in several museum collections, including the Denver Art Museum.
Debra Smith (b. 1971), based in Kansas City, MO, challenges traditional notions of craft and “women’s work” with her textile-based art, which aligns more closely with painting. She explains, “I am not a poet or someone who draws, but vintage textiles bring history, weight, and poetry to my work before I even begin to cut, sew, and reassemble. The process flows intuitively, resulting in pieces akin to drawing or poetry.” Smith studied at the Italian Academy of Fashion & Design in Florence before earning a BFA in fiber from the Kansas City Art Institute and an Associate Degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Her work has been exhibited internationally for over two decades. After living in Brooklyn for more than ten years, she returned to Kansas City in 2004, where she continues her practice using vintage textiles.
BMoCA at Frasier is a collaboration between Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and Frasier Retirement Community. Curated by BMoCA, this series of exhibitions in The Canyons Gallery is an extension of the museum’s exhibition schedule.