Using salvaged textiles, found objects, pigments and thread, I create impressionistic landscapes, multimedia installations, functional sculptures, and wearable pieces that convey my passion for nature, memory, and creative reuse. Current incarnations pay tribute to my late mother and repurpose family heirlooms, as well as feature vintage goods, cutting room remnants, broken furniture, and street debris.
My artistic practice is rooted in the tension between holding on and letting go, of memorialization and detachment. A self-proclaimed 'doula of discarded things, I transform both trash and sentimental scraps, exploring themes of loss, the search for hope, our relationship to place, and the things we carry.
My visual work incorporates elements of collage, applique, embroidery, weaving, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. These mixed media pieces create a visual vernacular that I quilt together with original music, interactive installation, and stop motion animation. Every piece has a story. Every material is repurposed with purpose.
An art school dropout, Julie Woodard holds a BA in American Studies from Temple University and a MA in Museum Education from University of the Arts. She has worked in Philadelphia's cultural sector for over twenty years and currently teaches workshops at local art centers, schools, nonprofits, and small businesses.
Julie has created capsule collections for Au Boulot Workwear and her wearable designs have been showcased by Woolrich, Inc. She was the 2022 Featured Artist for Brooklynbased FABSCRAP, is an alumna of NextFab's Artisan Accelerator program, and has been featured in commercial and gallery spaces in Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, and Denver. Following an interest in immersive art, her recent projects include interactive installations for the Delaware River Waterfront, the Fringe Festival, and Philadelphia International Airport. Collaborations, public projects, requests for workshops, and textile donations are welcome.
2025
Room to Grow, Eremita Café, Philadelphia, PA
Spring with Julie Woodard, Chapterhouse Café and Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2024
Embodied Sound, Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
Over the Mantle, Capricorn Books, Jenkintown, PA
2022
Artist at Work, Rays Reusables, Philadelphia, PA
Repurposed with Purpose, FABSCRAP, Philadelphia, PA
Let’s Start Here, Cultivaire, Philadelphia, PA
2024 - present
Tidal Rock, Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia, PA
Trail of Love, multi-site installation, Philadelphia, PA
2023 - present
Pockets of Light, Delaware River Waterfront, Philadelphia, PA
2023
Read Me A World: Under the Sea, Cannonball Festival, Philadelphia, PA
2021 -2022
Accumulation, Good Buy Supply, Philadelphia, PA
2008
Mirrored Image, Broad Street Love, Philadelphia, PA
2007
Passages, Broad Street Love, Philadelphia, PA
2025
Philadelphia Futures and Legacies, CultureWorks, Philadelphia, PA
Hang in There, Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA
Where I’m From, NoName Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2024
We Are Family, Off the Wall Gallery at Dirty Franks, Philadelphia, PA
High In Fiber, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA
Transcending Uncertainty: Art Endures at Home in Philadelphia, City Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Perennial Visions, Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
Garbage Patch, Stitch & Destroy, Philadelphia, PA
The Dirt In Our Garden, Information Space, Philadelphia, PA
Paper Trails, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Now, One With Everyone, Icebox Project Space, Philadelphia, PA
Furnished for Good, Cherry Street Pier, Philadelphia, PA
Flood Zone, Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
Unfamiliar, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA
2023
Under $100, Under $1000: Works by Philly Artists, Philadelphia Magic Gardens, Philadelphia, PA
Collage Philadelphia, The Look Listen, Philadelphia, PA
When the Light Comes In, Da Vinci Art Alliance, Philadelphia, PA
Up to Us, The Look Listen, Philadelphia, PA
Environment, University Museum, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
Walking the Edge, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, PA
Up to Us, The Look Listen, Philadelphia, PA
Environment, University Museum, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA
Walking the Edge, The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, PA
