Julia Halperin: A History of Fiber and Textile Art and Its Relationship to the Art World

From the early 1960s to the late ’70s, in a chapter of art history known as the fiber art movement, artists — predominantly women — across Europe and the United States began experimenting with thread and fabric, often pushing them into three dimensions and away from the wall. This program will examine key figures in this movement, including Magdalena Abakanowicz, Lenore Tawney, and Sheila Hicks. It will also explore how their work has been received in the art world and how mainstream institutions today are re-evaluating fiber art after decades of dismissal.