Biography

Penny Mateer, artist/activist, works with textiles and recycled materials. Mateer’s art is rooted in quilting and embroidery traditionally thought of as “women’s work.” Drawing from this rich history of creating functional objects intended to provide warmth and comfort, she uses fabric as her primary material because it is both recognizable and relatable. Her work centers on social and economic issues with the goal to spark thought and discussion.

On January 22, 2017 President Trump’s inauguration, Mateer launched In Today's News, a series of daily hand-cut collages from the NY Times, to bear witness to this period in US history. She organizes Pole-2-Polls a community-made public art project to promote voting.

Mateer has received numerous awards including Best of Show Fiberart International 2016 and was an artist-in-residence at MASS MoCA. Her work is in the Pittsburgh Public School System collection. She was co-director of Knit the Bridge, a community-made public art project installed on the Andy Warhol Bridge in Pittsburgh. Mateer lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.