Minnesota Handwork
A Celebration of Fiber Art in Minnesota during 2026
In honor of America 250, and as a site for Craft in America’s “Handwork: Celebrating American Craft 2026”, Textile Center will present Minnesota Handwork.
In 2026, Minnesota Handwork will celebrate the state’s proliferate fiber art history, emerging from and honoring tradition, and brimming with innovation. Handwork, as a universal carrier of artistic and cultural practice, connects Minnesotans and our region’s rich history through the common thread of textiles and fiber art. Building, expanding, healing, and bridging community, revering and sharing generational knowledge, acknowledging cultural practice, and celebrating tradition — these are the heart of fiber art practice and this project, connecting us through the handmade.
In celebration of fiber arts as one of the number one creative activities in Minnesota, exhibitions throughout 2026 will include curated, juried, and open call opportunities to honor both the traditional and contemporary aspects of fiber and textile arts in Minnesota. These exhibits will feature Minnesota Native artists and practitioners, disability-identity artists, the LQBTQ+ community, and guild and community artists–from emerging to accomplished. A public series of artist discussions will offer insights to the artists and the exhibitions throughout the course of the year.
Check back for additional activities as the project takes hold!
MINNESOTA HANDWORK EXHIBITIONS
Holding, Patterns, Christine Novotny
2025 McKnight Fiber Artist Fellowship Exhibition
January 13 – April 4, 2026
Reception: Thursday, March 19, 5 – 7 pm
Fellows’ presentations begin at 6 pm
Alchemy, Shannon Lucas Westrum
2025 McKnight Fiber Artist Fellowship Exhibition
January 13 – April 4, 2026
Reception: Thursday, March 19, 5 – 7 pm
Fellows’ presentations begin at 6 pm
Unbound
In partnership with Fresh Eye Arts, CHOICE, Inc., and Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts
January 27 – April 4, 2026
Reception: Thursday, March 19, 5 – 7 pm (McKnight artists presentations begin at 6 pm)
TWO-SPIRIT STORIES
Penny Kagigebi, curator
Mary Giles Gallery
April 14 – July 11, 2026
Reception: Thursday, June 4, 5:30 – 7 pm
Mni Sóta: Traditions & Innovations
Fiber and Material Culture of the Indigenous Landscape
Delina White, curator
Joan Mondale Gallery
April 14 – July 11, 2026
Reception: Thursday, June 4, 5:30 – 7 pm
A Common Thread (our member biennial!), July 28 – October 10, 2026 Artist reception Thursday, August 6, 5:30 – 7 pm
—– CALL FOR ENTRIES will be open April 15 – June 15, 2026, or until show reaches capacity. Check back on the website in April for the application!
Embodied Material, curated by Shug Munic, October 20, 2026 – January 7, 2027 Artist reception Thursday, November 5, 5:30 – 7 pm
Selections from A Common Thread– traveling exhibit, Lanesboro Art Center, October 24 – December 20, 2026
Holiday Gallery Shop, November 3 – December 24, 2026 Artist reception Thursday, November 5, 5:30 – 7 pm
Selections from A Common Thread– traveling exhibit, Battle Lake Art Center, January – February 2027 (exact dates TBD)
Keep up with developments on our page on the national HANDWORK website HERE
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.