About Me

Her work explores the connections between architecture, mapping, and the stories carried within built spaces. Trained first as an architect and now working as a textile artist, she reimagines familiar structures through layered fabric, stitching, and mixed-media processes. Inspired by a lifelong fascination with aerial views of cities and landscapes, she creates detailed works that combine architectural imagery with textile techniques. By blending digital tools such as a laser cutter with careful handwork, she builds compositions that balance structure with experimentation.

Sometimes research is an important part of her process. She looks into the historical, cultural, and social histories of the places she explores, searching for overlooked stories and unexpected connections. These discoveries often shape the direction of her work. At other times, she works more intuitively, allowing the materials and the process itself to guide the piece as it develops.

Using fabric, thread, and other tactile materials, she creates layered surfaces that reflect the complexity and diversity of urban environments. Fragments of maps, street grids, and architectural forms overlap and intersect, echoing the many histories and lived experiences that exist within cities.

Her interest in architecture and urban landscapes is closely tied to questions about history, community, and the ways people experience place. Through her work, she hopes to encourage conversations about more inclusive and environmentally thoughtful approaches to urban design.

Ultimately, she wants viewers to look more carefully at the spaces around them and consider the histories those places hold. She hopes the work sparks curiosity, conversation, and a deeper awareness of the built environment and the many stories woven into it.

She received degrees in architecture from Washington University and Yale University. Her award winning work has been widely published and exhibited. She also lectures and gives workshops nationally and internationally. For over 26 years, she taught architectural design at Florida A & M University.

Her book, Art Quilt Maps: Capture a Sense of Place with Fiber Collage-A Visual Guide is widely available.

valeriegoodwin@comcast.net

850-510-4290