Contributed photo “A Perception of Failure,” by artist Claire B. Jones, features a selection of whimsical, brightly colored sculptures created with fabric and a sewing machine. The exhibit opens with a public reception Thursday at the Betty Feves Memorial Gallery at BMCC in Pendleton.

A unique exhibit that explores the idea that failure is partly about perception is featured at the Betty Feves Memorial Gallery.

“A Perception of Failure” is the first solo exhibit of artist Claire B. Jones. It opens with a public reception Thursday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Hall gallery at Blue Mountain Community College, 2411 N.W. Carden Ave., Pendleton. The family-friendly gathering includes light refreshments. In addition, Jones will give an Artist’s Talk around 5 p.m.

Jones invites people to view her work along with information an artist doesn’t usually share — what she considers to be the flaws in her work. A statement is displayed next to each sculpture that explains why the piece failed to meet her original objective. Jones asks viewers if this knowledge alters their opinion of the piece — inquiring if learning about something the artist considers an imperfection impacts what a viewer thinks about the piece.

The aim of the exhibition is to encourage viewers to examine their ideas and experiences of failure. The exhibit features a selection of whimsical, brightly colored, self-supporting sculptures created with fabric and a sewing machine. Inspired by mathematical topology and a desire to achieve new forms, Jones said that her background in research and computer engineering braces her systematic experimentation with technique and architectural construction.

“Just as math topology studies the limits and continuities of transformed shapes and spaces, I explore the properties of material, plane, and form, testing and stretching their boundaries and possibilities,” she explained.

Jones was born in Glasgow, Scotland, moving to the United States in the mid-1990s. She studied art and design, along with experimental stitch at the Gail Harker Creative Studies Center in Mount Vernon, Washington. She currently lives in Seattle.

The Betty Feves Memorial Gallery is a nonprofit exhibit space that connects emerging and established artists with students, staff and the general public. The gallery is open Monday through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or by appointment by calling 541-278-5952. In addition, special evening hours are offered this Friday and Saturday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through Thursday, March 22.

For more about the gallery, visit www.bluecc.edu/community/feves-art-gallery. For more about Jones, visit www.clairebjones.com.