Inheritance immerses the viewer in thick, rich textures of different densities. Packard combines yarns, threads, carpeting, rug backings, pastels, and paper to create unexpected resonances: an incomplete quilt, a disassembled coat or sweater, a map, a topographical relief, or an agricultural landscape. The title and familiar intimacy of the materials evoke a sense of familial connections and history.
Packard studied at Swarthmore College, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and American University, where she earned an MFA. She has had more than fifty exhibitions nationally, including solo shows at Walton Arts Center in Arkansas, the Painting Center in New York, the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) in Philadelphia, and the Philadelphia International Airport. Her awards include a printmaking residency at Brandywine Workshop and Archives, a CFEVA fellowship, and residencies at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, the Vermont Studio Center, and St. Mary’s College. In 2017, she was resident teaching artist at the Hudson River Museum, New York. Since 1995, Packard’s art has been catalyzed by her curatorial work for the List Gallery at Swarthmore College, and other venues.
