PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico University's Runnels Gallery presents Fish, Faces, and Figures: Stitching in a Series, an exhibition of fiber and soft sculpture work by artist Linda Anderle. The exhibition is on view now through October 24, 2026, in the Runnels Gallery at the Golden Student Success Center (GSSC) on the ENMU Portales campus.
The gallery showcase is available during regular GSSC hours:
- Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. – Midnight
- Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Noon – 5 p.m.
- Sunday, Noon – 9 p.m.
Colorful, expressive, and often playful, Anderle's work transforms felt, fiber, thread, and other familiar materials into stitched figures, faces, fish, and sculptural forms. Her approach moves beyond traditional embroidery, using the needle and thread much as a painter might use a brush. Rather than beginning with a fixed plan, Anderle allows each piece to develop through an ongoing interaction between material, color, texture, and intuition.
The exhibition reflects an artistic practice shaped by decades of creative exploration. Anderle spent nearly six decades working professionally in the floral industry, where she developed a strong understanding of line, form, color, texture, and composition. After more than 50 years of working primarily with fresh flowers, she embraced fiber and felt it was a new direction for her creative practice.
"I am especially pleased that Linda's exhibition continues Runnels Gallery's commitment to presenting art in its many forms. Her work reminds us that artistic expression is not defined by a particular material, technique, or tradition, but by the ideas, experiences, and creativity brought to the act of making," Bryan Hahn, University Art curator, said. "By introducing our visitors to fiber and soft sculpture, we hope to broaden perceptions of what art can be and affirm that every form of creative expression has a meaningful place in the arts."
Anderle's connection to fiber began much earlier. Growing up in the Texas Panhandle, she was encouraged by her mother, a skilled seamstress and needleworker, to experiment freely with fabric, needle, and thread. Her later travels, museum visits, and studies with instructors in the United States, Denmark, France, and Mexico further expanded her understanding of visual art, floral design, and embroidery.
That spirit of experimentation remains central to Anderle's work today. She describes the creative process as a conversation between the felt, needle, thread, and her hands, allowing emotion and personal experience to become part of the finished work while leaving interpretation open to the viewer. Her philosophy encourages creative risk-taking and a willingness to move beyond the expected. As Anderle writes in her artist statement, her message is to "Be more colorful, humorous, and unexpected."
Anderle's work has been selected for more than 35 exhibitions in the United States and internationally. Recent highlights include a 2024 solo exhibition at the Blumenschein Museum in Taos, New Mexico, participation in the international traveling exhibition I See Red at Textile Fest in Australia, and a 2025 solo exhibition at Clovis Community College. Her work was also featured in the Summer 2025 issue of What Women Create magazine. In 2026, Anderle was a featured exhibitor at the Bosque Redondo Memorial Fiber Fair in Fort Sumner and served as an Artist-in-Residence on Star Island, New Hampshire.
For additional information about the exhibition or University Art at Eastern New Mexico University, contact:
Bryan Hahn
University Art Curator
[email protected] or 575.562.2896
