Part of Handwork 2026

Cloth, Paper, Stitches brings together a selection of artists’ books from the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection that foreground the tactile and expressive possibilities of cloth, paper, and thread. Through processes such as sewing, weaving, cutting, and folding, these works expand the idea of the book beyond a purely visual or text-based object into something materially intimate and physically engaging.

At this moment—a time marked by fracture and uncertainty—this exhibition highlights artworks where material itself becomes the language of care, community, and transformation. The artists represented in the exhibition use both traditional and experimental techniques, merging handwork with conceptual approaches to storytelling. Some of this work was created slowly over time and other pieces were produced in urgency, but all function as vital acts of shelter and resistance.

Header image: Lois Morrison, The Travels of Marco Bull, 1984, Fabric, embroidery, 8-⅔”h x 7-½”w x 1-¾”d (box), Courtesy of the Cynthia Sears Artists’ Books Collection, Photo by Laura Zander.