EXHIBITION DATES

MARCH 21 - APRIL 26, 2026

OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 4-9PM

ARTIST PANEL SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 3-5PM

 

A threadbare idea is one that is weak, hackneyed, or stale.  This exhibition brings together 5 SF Bay Area quilt artists - Ora Clay, Joe Cunningham, Margaret Fabrizio, Trisha Hickey and Lorraine Woodruff-Long - whose work challenges the threadbare narratives that are now pervasive in our country with respect to immigration, gender, free speech, individual liberty and human rights.  These arguments are set forth as the foundation of policies and power grabs that threaten our constitutional rights as Americans.   The five quilt artists use imagery, historical references, text and complex materials to craft their messages in both subtle and overt ways. The stunning beauty of these quilts is a form of resistance against the very ugly ideas that are tainting our political discourse today.  

Threadbare will feature the Forbidden Words Quilt Project, an international community quilt project led by Lorraine Woodruff-Long and Trisha Hickey highlighting the 384 words and phrases that have been banned or scrubbed from U.S. government communications as identified by PENAmerica.org. Throughout Fall 2025, individual quilt blocks featuring the banned words have been handmade by over 200 participant contributors representing every state in the U.S. and 6 countries around the world.