The Ardent Thread

July 16, 2020 - September 5, 2020

Artists Archives of the Western Reserve 

1834 E. 123rd Street Cleveland, OH 44106-1910

As close to us as the clothes to our bodies, textiles hold an intimate place in our lives. Though historically dismissed for its utility, it is precisely this closeness which makes fiber a powerful tool to explore our individual and collective experiences. This Summer, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve is pleased to host The Ardent Thread, a textile invitational curated by Tony Williams which shares both the personal stories and passionate work of nine regional fiber artists.

Featuring Phyllis Brody, Rebecca Cross, Aimee Lee, Cynthia Lockhart, Myrya Johnson, Char Norman, Jessica Pinsky, Ron Shelton, and Anne Weissman, The Ardent Thread showcases weaving, quilting, embroidery, papermaking, assemblage, and innovative mixed media work. The exhibition also includes artist Oral Histories, unique interactive audio recordings which trace their journeys with the fiber arts.

Curator and fiber artist Tony Williams explains, “We have all learned the craft of fiber for different reasons. Some of us learn because it is something passed down from generation to generation. Some of us learn out of necessity. Some of us learn for its beauty and skill and want to express our voice in these techniques. The group of artists exhibiting in The Ardent Thread are all true masters. They express their love of their craft… creating extraordinary art as they intertwine their chosen thread into a life of its own.”

artist statement

Biotracings Series 1 (2019), develops from Preservation Sequence (2018), and is a collection of futuristic, natural history objects, or “exprints” of imagined, extinct plant species. The drawings that are etched into the plexi field, through which silk, and waxed threads and ribbons penetrate, are derived from shadows cast by the silk forms, made with the shape-resist and immersion dye processes of traditional Japanese shibori. Inspired by Latin taxonomies of endangered plants from Ohio, I have titled these pieces to honor my art and spirit sisters. This work considers a plausible future, where what is familiar now exists only as skins and tracings of remembered bioforms.

Photographs by Kelly Pontoni