Ana Maria Hernando, “El intento del agua/The Intent of Water,” 2025.
In the English language, there are several metaphors related to thread, and almost all of them convey a sense of continuity and unison. It’s a sentiment shared by many fiber artists, whose work often integrates such practices as weaving, crochet, knitting, embroidery, tufting, and quilting to emphasize community and resilience. But these themes are only a handful of those explored in The Golden Thread 2, a new exhibition encompassing the work of 60 contemporary fiber artists.
Staged in an 18th-century mercantile building in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport neighborhood, The Golden Thread 2 is the second outing by Karin Bravin and John Lee of BravinLee Programs. Last year, the duo organized the first iteration of The Golden Thread, though it was open for only a few days to coincide with Frieze New York. This year, however, the exhibition is larger, more ambitious, and lasts over a month, offering a sprawling glimpse into what, exactly, is happening at the forefront of fiber art. Featured pieces span everything from a charming pipe cleaner mural of a lion and unicorn to a finger-knit vase, showcasing work by artists like Julia Bland, Lucia Engstrom, Mark Fleuridor, and Sammy Bennet, among others.
Equally exhaustive are the number of techniques and media featured throughout The Golden Thread 2. Ali Dipp’s Concession No 3 (Trumbull, Capitol), for instance, is composed of manually stitched thread on denim jeans, all purchased from the Salvation Army in the artist’s hometown of El Paso, Texas. Ana Maria Hernando’s The Intent of Water repurposes tulle, felt, and velvet, materials that give the work a rare buoyancy and softness, just like water gurgling down a stream. Ellie Murphy’s site-specific installation Never Sets is a macramé sun, just barely looming above the wooden floor.
Historically, craftwork has been relegated to “feminine” spheres, rarely amounting to much more than domestic labor. In the latter half of the 20th century, things finally began to change. Exhibitions proving the artistic value of cotton, felt, and wool appeared with more frequency, and figures like Sheila Hicks, Faith Ringgold, and Emma Amos gained greater popularity. In fact, the Museum of Modern Art in New York recently hosted its own exhibition dedicated to fiber art, titled Woven Histories: Textiles and Modern Abstraction. The art market has also responded to these trends, snagging high prices and greater visibility.
Like countless others, The Golden Thread 2 seeks to address and reimagine what craft, textile, and fiber art have traditionally connoted. What makes this exhibition truly unique, though, is its timeliness, as well as its ability to predict who will shape the field in the coming years. Even Elissa Auther, the legendary chief curator at New York’s Museum of Arts and Design, is impressed.
“I never thought I’d see an exhibition like this in my lifetime,” she told artnet. “Textile art certainly isn’t a recent trend in my world, though it’s definitely gotten more visible, and many more artists are now using the material for the first time.”
The Golden Thread 2 is now on-view at 207 Front Street in lower Manhattan until May 16, 2025.
The Golden Thread 2 encompasses 60 contemporary fiber artists working at the forefront of their field.
Ali Dipp, “Concession No 3 Trumbull, Capitol,” 2024.
Jennifer Cecere, “Ecstatic Landscape,” 2024.
Tura Oliveira, “Wheel of Fortune,” 2025.
Sam Dienst, “Clutter Conundrum,” 2024.
Terri Friedman, “RE-fresh,” 2022.
Lucia Engstrom, “Cumulus,” 2024.
Traci Johnson, “Love Me in a Place Where There’s no Space or Time,” 2023.
The exhibition spans everything from a charming pipe cleaner mural to finger-knit vase, showcasing the immense diversity of contemporary fiber art.
Natalie Baxter, “People Will Think You’re Making a Trump Flag (a yuge one),” 2016.
Lucia Engstrom, “Echo,” 2024.
Installation view of “The Golden Thread 2,” at the Seaport in New York City.
Mark Fleuridor, “A Season of Sharing #3,” 2024.
Francoise Grossen, “Maquette for Citibank Commission (111 Wall Street, NYC),” 1979.
The Golden Thread 2 is currently on-view in Manhattan’s South Street Seaport neighborhood until May 16, 2025.
Ruben Marroquin, “Sonora,” 2025.
Tomo Mori, “(we) keep going,” 2025.
Ellie Murphy, “Never Sets,” 2025.
Walter Robinson, “Tumultuous Heart.”
Installation view of “The Golden Thread 2,” at the Seaport in New York City.
Halley Zien, “Morning Mourn,” 2024.
Exhibition Information
The Golden Thread 2
April 11–May 16
207 Front Street, New York, NY 10038
BravinLee Programs: Website | Instagram
The Seaport: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature images by BravinLee Programs.
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