Chris Roberts Book

Acclaimed fiber artist Chris Roberts-Antieau was preparing for a major retrospective exhibition at the Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore. With a prolific 40-year career, she needed help curating and documenting the highlights of her work for the show. She approached Design Ranch to create a commemorative retrospective book to complement the exhibition. (A bit of trivia: Chris’s first gig was designing stage costumes for Ted Nugent.)

The Design Ranch team delved deep into Chris’ artistic archive, discovering a unique gem—a “creative to-do list” she had created early in her career. This list, which included whimsical goals like “dress as many animals in human clothes as possible,” was the foundation for structuring the book. We expanded upon 19 items from this list, crafting 10 thematic chapters that provided a narrative framework for the retrospective. The resulting 200-page hardcover book showcased the evolution of Chris’ distinctive visual language and textile techniques, offering a comprehensive view of her remarkable career. The retrospective book complemented Chris’s exhibition and allowed museum visitors to take home a tangible memento of the show. Beyond celebrating Chris’ achievements, the final publication reinforced her status as a pioneering fiber artist and textile innovator.