Holly McCabe: Beg to be Loved, Beg to be Touched

BEACON, NY—Distortion Society is pleased to present “Beg to be Loved, Beg to be Touched,” an experience of soft sculpture installations from textile artist Holly McCabe, curated by Jaime Ransome. McCabe works with vintage cloth and contrast topstitching to create viscerally and compassionately manipulated wall-mounted soft sculptures. Each work is meticulously crafted from vintage materials, discarded and donated, then revived in McCabe’s studio. Scraps of cotton, wool, polyester and faux leather have been salvaged by the artist and pieced together into something deserving of love, attention, and care. Every seam is a scar repaired through time and care between McCabe’s thoughtful fingers.

These variable, modular installations are created and installed through an intuitive process of physical manipulation: bending, tearing, patching, and stretching each fabric to reflect and adhere to the properties of the next. Enriched by punk DIY values and informed by her digital and studio arts education, McCabe’s work embodies the raw emergence of self that comes from processing chaos, rebellion, self-care, and cathartic self-expression.

Within each installation lives a duality of feminine experience: fragility, experimentation, and resilience—like girlhood itself. But also matured, weathered, and finally at peace—like womanhood. Each work is variable, moveable, touchable, and tactile; made up of surfaces that have been cut, torn, and rebuilt stronger and softer. The fabrics incorporated are both precious and ordinary: pieces that have been worn to weddings, parties, road trips, breakups, to work and back. Dripping tendril threads, seamed in contrast stitching, in tones and shadows of red, blue, green, and beige define the McCabe aesthetic – weaving together an ecosystem of works that are both aesthetic and emotional. The final works are products of —the last remnants of—a life well explored.

Begging to be touched. Begging to be held. Begging to be repaired. Begging to be loved.

EXHIBITION DETAILS
“Beg to be Loved, Beg to be Touched” will be on view at Distortion Society, 155 Main Street, Beacon, NY from July 11, 2026 through October 3, 2026. The gallery is free and open to the public. There will be an opening reception on July 11, 2026 from 7 – 9pm.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Holly McCabe is a multimedia artist and educator currently residing in Rhinebeck, New York. She graduated with a BA in Art History and Studio Art from Gettysburg College in 1999, a BFA in Fine Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2000, an MA in Painting from SUNY New Paltz in 2005, and an MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2016. Holly worked as a secondary education art teacher from 2002-2013, and is currently a full time Professor of Visual Arts and Art Program Chair at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, New York, specializing in 2D design, graphic design, drawing, fashion illustration, photography, animation, web design, and motion graphics. Though her personal work initially focused on portraiture, Holly’s recent collections feature fiber arts, textiles, and sweeping soft sculpture installation spaces. More info: theholly.org | @theholly.art

ABOUT THE CURATOR
Jaime Ransome (she/her) is a Hudson Valley–based curator, artist consultant, and art history educator whose practice is grounded in curatorial activism, collaboration, and adaptability. Working primarily through fine arts exhibitions, Ransome develops immersive, community-driven projects that bridge historical art movements with contemporary social and political themes. Over the past decade, she has curated exhibitions across galleries and public spaces, championing emerging and mid-career artists and cultivating ephemeral communities through programming, artist talks, and public engagement. Her work is guided by an ethos of partnership, challenging conventional gallery structures while remaining responsive to artists, spaces, and audiences. More info: jransomecuration.com | @jransome.curator