Carole Loeffler's 'Granny Graffiti' at Moda

Vintage doily with red felt letters reading "you can change your mind," from Carole Loeffler's "Granny Graffiti" series at MODA. — “You can change your mind,” from Carole Loeffler’s “Granny Graffiti” series now on display at MODA. Loeffler began the project in 2018 with a single phrase on a telephone pole. e. (Courtesy of MODA)

Carole Loeffler has something to say, and she says it on a doily.

Since 2018, the Philadelphia-based artist has been cutting phrases such as “stay strong,” “it’s ok,” and “we can fix this” from felt, mounting them on vintage handmade doilies, then fastening them to telephone poles across her city. No gallery opening. No artist statement posted nearby. Just a small, soft object in a hard public place, waiting for whoever needs it.

That project, “Granny Graffiti,” now occupies the lobby of the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA), where it runs alongside “Public Notice: The 2025 U.S. International Poster Biennial” through mid-May.

“My goal is for each person to find a ‘zing,’ at least one phrase that resonates. The materials, effort, and phrases are all meant to hold love and to remind us that the quiet labor of women is important.”
Artist Carole Loeffler

A direct action, unfiltered

Loeffler’s first piece came from a single phrase. At a community gathering space in Philadelphia, she encountered the words “stay strong” and felt compelled to put them somewhere others would find them. She cut the words from felt, mounted them on a doily, and installed the piece on a telephone pole.

“It felt like a direct action that wasn’t filtered in any way,” she said.

Loeffler placed a few more pieces around the city, then gave herself a formal assignment: one piece on a telephone pole every day for a month. She shared the project on Instagram, and“Granny Graffiti” grew from there. The affirmations, she said, come from her own inner voice, the things she tells herself and her children.

“They aren’t intentionally quiet and plainspoken,” Loeffler explained. “They organically came out that way.”

Vintage lace doily with red felt letters reading "i see you," part of Carole Loeffler's "Granny Graffiti" series at MODA. — “I see you,” from Carole Loeffler’s “Granny Graffiti” series. The affirmations, Loeffler has said, come from the things she tells herself and her children — her own inner voice made visible on objects once tucked away in someone’s linen closet. (Courtesy of MODA)

Detail of "Granny Graffiti" by Carole Loeffler — vintage doilies with red felt affirmations mounted on a red wall at MODA. — “I see you,” from Carole Loeffler’s “Granny Graffiti” series. The affirmations, Loeffler has said, come from the things she tells herself and her children — her own inner voice made visible on objects once tucked away in someone’s linen closet. (Courtesy of MODA)

The doily as material and message

Loeffler’s broader practice centers on vintage textiles. She holds a BFA from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and an MFA from the University of South Florida, and has shown her work in more than 100 group and solo exhibitions across the country. Her work excavates the stories of objects and honors what she calls the matriarchs of the past.

“Granny Graffiti” extends that practice into public space. Thrift stores, antique shops, and the closets of mothers and grandmothers overflow with doilies, handmade objects that represent enormous labor and now sit largely forgotten. Loeffler rescues them and puts them back to work.

“Using these materials is a way to honor the work that went into making them and to give them a renewed purpose,” she said.

The pairing of domestic craft with street messaging is deliberate in its contrasts: soft material, hard surface; private language, public space; quiet voice, direct statement. The doilies carry the memories of the women who made them. The words carry the weight of the present moment.

A whisper inside a shout

At MODA, “Granny Graffiti” shares space with “Public Notice,” a global poster biennial featuring winners selected from 11,845 submissions across 93 countries. The jury included poster artist Luba Lukova and graphic designer David Carson. The works are bold, large-scale, and designed to command attention.

Loeffler’s pieces do something different.

“Granny Graffiti holds its own, visually, with bold graphics,” she said, “but offers a whisper or suggestion with the content of the message.”

MODA frames the pairing as a single argument: Design is not neutral. Whether a poster designed to provoke or a doily stitched to comfort, both make values visible in public space.

For Loeffler, the goal at MODA is the same as it was on a Philadelphia telephone pole– find the person who needs it.

“I hope that everyone who sees ‘Granny Graffiti’ at MODA can find one that speaks to them,” she said. “My goal is for each person to find a ‘zing,’ at least one phrase that resonates. The materials, effort, and phrases are all meant to hold love and to remind us that the quiet labor of women is important.”

“Public Notice: The 2025 U.S. International Poster Biennial” and “Granny Graffiti” are on view at the Museum of Design Atlanta through mid-May. For more information, visit museumofdesign.org.