Threaded Paths is a global textile exhibition about the journeys that shape our lives.
Each stitched piece reflects a personal path. For some, it begins with childhood or family life. Others speak of migration, loss, joy, work, love, or unexpected turns. Rather than focusing on a single place, these works trace the moments and experiences that stay with us: a mother’s apron, a route once traveled, a scrap of fabric kept for years. Fabric, thread, and found objects become a way of holding memories and telling stories that are often difficult to put into words.
The exhibition brings together more than 100 artists, students, and community members from around the world working in styles from raw and unpolished to highly refined. Every piece is different: some are quiet reflections; others are bold celebrations or personal remembrances. What unites them is intention, not skill level, along with the desire to tell a story through cloth and the trust it takes to put a private history on public view.
The gallery guide includes the title and a short statement written by each artist, offering a glimpse into the work in their own words. Take your time with each piece. Some stories may feel familiar. Others may introduce experiences very different from your own. Threaded Paths invites reflection on your own path, and on the many paths that run alongside it.
The exhibition was organized and curated by Valerie Marcus Ramshur. Ramshur is a nationally recognized costume designer, historian, and professor at Rutgers University, where she teaches in the Department of Theatre at the Mason Gross School of the Arts. As Head of Costume Design and Director of Design and Production, she examines the intersection of art, dress, and identity across performance and material culture, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and public engagement.