Evelyn Svec Ward was a prolific fiber artist whose career was highlighted in a retrospective at the Cleveland Museum of Art in 1991. After 10 years in the textile department at the Cleveland Museum of Art, she resigned from her post to concentrate on her artistic career. Evelyn’s work broke away from traditional weaving to create abstract works combining thread, cloth, collage, and the influences of Mexican folk textiles. In her own words, “Texture and tactile aspects of fiber and fabric are most appealing to me, as are the qualities inherent in natural materials. With a needle as my tool, and materials such as linen, cotton, or various bast fibers, I feel completely free to work in many direction … I see unlimited possibilities for expression.”

Evelyn received the Alumni Award for Special Achievement in Fine Arts from Otterbein College. Her work is found in the collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Institute of Art, and Otterbein College.