Photo credit: Kristen Dettoni
What happens when art, nature, color, and secret messages come together? Welcome to Secret Garden, Works in Bloom, my latest solo exhibition at the Jaffrey Civic Center!
This exhibition is especially meaningful to me for two reasons: it is my second solo show, and it is the first exhibition I've had the opportunity to hang entirely on my own. It is also a collection that came together in a surprisingly short amount of time!
Although I had known about the exhibition since late 2025 and knew that Morse code would, of course, play a central role, the idea for a Secret Garden theme didn't take root until much later. I had a particularly busy year and wasn't able to devote my full attention to the show until September, leaving me just two months to create an entirely new body of work.
The inspiration began to bloom in August as I was preparing new pieces for my booth at the NH League of Craftsmen fair. I experimented with a few Morse code flowers and immediately fell in love with the idea of creating an entire collection inspired by gardens. From there, the concept grew into a series of colorful, nature-inspired textile artworks, each with its own hidden message.
From a Seed of an Idea to a Garden of Art
Once the garden theme took hold, the creative planning began. I selected the secret messages for each piece, dyed yarn in carefully chosen colors, and developed individual color palettes for each series and artwork. Every detail was thoughtfully considered, from the colors and textures to the words woven into each design.
But I didn't want the exhibition to simply be a collection of artwork hanging on gallery walls. I wanted visitors to feel as though they were stepping into a garden.
To create that experience, I added a grass-inspired border around the gallery, complete with a hidden Morse code message of its own. It was another way to bring the garden theme into the space and make the exhibition feel like a cohesive environment rather than just a series of individual pieces.
An Exhibition Hung in Code?
Perhaps the most unexpected element of the show is the way the artwork is hung. I decided to install the entire exhibition using code!
There were two reasons behind this unusual approach. First, I wanted visitors to pause and take a closer look as they entered the gallery. Something might seem a little unusual or even awkward about the arrangement at first, hopefully sparking curiosity and making people wonder why everything is hanging that way.
Second, I wanted to encourage visitors to spend a little more time in the space. Art can be something we simply walk past and admire, but I love the idea of creating an experience that invites people to slow down, look more closely, and discover something unexpected.
After all, there are messages hidden throughout this garden, and not everything is as it first appears!
The artwork is hung so that each grouping forms a letter. Based on Braille and Bar Code and the entire room spells: Daydreaming
Come Explore the Secret Garden
Secret Garden, Works in Bloom is an invitation to explore the intersection of nature, fiber art, color, and code. Each piece has a story, and each hidden message offers another layer of discovery.
If you're curious about the inspiration behind the artwork, the secret messages woven into each piece, and the little details that make up this exhibition, read on. I'd love for you to take a closer look and uncover the messages for yourself!
Decode each series within the garden:
Sometimes the most beautiful things are the ones waiting to be discovered.
*The show is up until December 19, 2026, with an Artist Talk on December 12th at 10:00 am
