CONSTRUCTIONS: Contemporary Fiber

July 17-December 27, 2025

From the paper we use to the clothing we wear, fiber remains central to our lives on a daily basis. The invention of weaving dates back to the earliest known human communities. Weaving, and creative use of the textiles that resulted as long ago as the ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek civilizations, contributed directly to divergent (yet overlapping) traditions of utilitarian works concerned more with functionality and artisanal works concerned more with aesthetics.

Without fiber, we would not enjoy books or photographs as we know them today. Fashion as we know it would not exist if our ancestors had not pounded tree bark and other plants flat to create useful materials for their day to day needs, and later stained or dyed that material with berries and pigment. Modern and contemporary technological advancements challenge traditional practitioners to match machine-made wonders with hand techniques, and appropriation adds new interpretations to an already rich and complex body of artwork.

Constructions: Contemporary Fiber incorporates works by twenty artists from across the United States who work with fiber art in different ways. These works utilize some of the most primitive and most technologically advanced materials available. They explore weaving, sewing, dyes, printing, and found objects to tell stories, recount history, and repurpose found objects.