GALLERY 1
A VISIBLE THREAD – SEAM
17 FEBRUARY – 4 MAY
A Visible THREAD is a group exhibition from the contemporary textile collective seam that explores the visibility and invisibility of thread. Thread, as cloth, is woven through our lives. It surrounds us like a second skin. Precisely because of these close connections, it becomes almost invisible to us.
Rooted in craft techniques, work made with thread has historically been seen as ‘women’s work’, private, functional, decorative, and safe. Cloth itself is still considered a gendered material and there’s a gender divide between ‘high’ art and feminised craft. Until recently, thread has been almost invisible as a medium in contemporary art.
A Visible THREAD aims to encourage viewers to rethink their relationship to thread, be aware of its materiality, its sustainability, its possibilities, and limitations. Through a diverse range of textile disciplines and perspectives, this exhibition brings new work from 13 seam artists together to stimulate thought, connection, and conversation.
seam is a contemporary textile collective based in South West England. It is made up of emerging and established embroiderers, printers, knitters, weavers, dyers, fashion designers, eco-designers, makers, artists. The collective is about coming together and supporting each other through sharing knowledge, local opportunities, local production, forging local bonds and sharing their work and love of textiles with others.
Featuring work from:
Penny Wheeler, Alice-Marie Archer, Lou Baker, Oliver Bliss, Jane Colquhoun, Nina Gronw-Lewis, Julie Heaton, Helen MacRitchie, Joy Merron, Lydia Needle, Angie Parker, Nicola Turner, and the late Dr. Linda Row.
There will be an opening in the gallery on Saturday 17 February 12 – 2pm, and the exhibition will run until the 4 May 2024.
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES
Throughout the exhibition artist from seam collective will be running a series of free creative activities!
Saturday 2 March, 2-4pm – Twig Figs!
Saturday 13 April, 10am-4pm – Bags of Fun
Saturday 4 May, 10am-3pm – Feeling Through Drawing
Saturday 11 May, 10am-3pm – Needlefelt + Stitch British Bees
Please contact reception on 01633 483321 or email [email protected] to book your place.
Places are limited and pre-booking is essential.
Find out more here.
