August 27 – September 7, 2026 • Minnesota State Fairgrounds • Selections from A Common Thread 2024 and Fine Art/Fiber

Textile Center’s annual exhibit in the Creative Activities building features 15 artists from our A Common Thread 2024 member exhibition — another terrific collection showcasing the talent of our member artists.

Welcome to the annual treasure hunt that fills the Creative Activities building at the Minnesota State Fair! With a record number of entries this year, fiber art fills every corner and display case in the building. Plan plenty of time to to look at Textile Center’s Selections from A Common Thread, with 15 fiber art works showcasing the diverse talents of our member artists–and look for the five beautifully made baskets that won the 2026 Basket Weaving at Textile Center ribbons!

Then, stop by the Fine Arts Building to celebrate the presence of textiles and fiber art in a fine arts context. Nancy Mambi, our beloved librarian of over 20 years, selected this year’s winner of the 2026 Textile Center Award for Excellence and Innovation– Susan Gangsei for her tapestry, Pat- Family Matriarch. Congrats to Susan and thanks to all who entered for raising visibility for fiber art in Minnesota!

2026 State Fair featured member artists in Creative Activities display:

Anne Bertram, A Journal of the Plague Years 

Pat- Family Matriarch, by Susan Gangsei

Congrats to Susan Gangsei, the winner of the 2026 Textile Center Award for Excellence and Innovation in Fine Arts!

The work, Pat- Family Matriarch, is a wool tapestry selected by Textile Center’s Librarian, Nancy Mambi.
In considering this work for the award, Nancy said, “The technique is so strong–the way she interpreted the image and the expression through color blending, the scale of the work, the labor involved in the weaving–these are all so evident . You can really tell it is HER work.  It feels intimate and it really feels like someone she knows and love.  And those eyes–they look right into the viewer.  The portrait struck me, and right away I wanted to start talking to her!”

Greta Rittenhouse- MN Basket Weaving at Textile Center award winner

Congrats to MN State Fair Creative Activities winners of the 2025 Basket Weaving at Textile Center Awards!

Basket Weaving at Textile Center is an initiative that resulted when the Minnesota Basket Weavers Guild was dissolved.  Thank you to this special interest group at Textile Center for providing a fourth year of funding for these special awards in Creative Activities. (Textile Center does not select the winners.  They are chosen by the State Fair Judges in each division and class.)
This year’s First Place Ribbon Winners are:
Class 583- Basketry, Randing, Splintwork, Plaiting: Greta Rittenhouse, Richfield, MN
Class 586- Basketry, Coiled: Pamela Erickson Eagan, MN
Class 588- Basketry, Other or Mixed Technique: Gail Mollner, Falcon Heights, MN
Class 589- Basketry, Minnesota Forged Fibers and Repurposed Materials: Gail Mollner, Falcon Heights, MN
Class 590- Basketry, Sweepstakes: Greta Rittenhouse, Richfield, MN