Exhibition Details

Exhibition in Conkling Gallery: 01/12/2026 – 02/06/2026

Artist Panel in Ostrander Auditorium: Thursday, 01/29/2026, 6–7 pm

Reception in Conkling Gallery: Thursday, 01/29/2026, 7–8 pm

Location: Conkling Gallery, first floor of Nelson Hall, Maywood Ave., Mankato, MN 56001

Curatorial Statement by Luciana Bongiovanni:

This exhibition explores the expansive notion of what textile art has become by showing contemporary artworks that reflect the interaction between diverse mediums and the legacy of textile techniques as a form of transgenerational and multicultural knowledge.

Textile art is one of the earliest creative expressions of human beings—emerging in diverse cultures around the world and flourishing in Latin America—yet its impact remains strong, perhaps stronger than ever. Its impact lies not in denying or combatting the digital age but rather in affirming time-honored crafted processes and finding comfort and refuge in the tactile tradition of doing things. Handmade techniques entail a strong focus on the present moment and a deep connection with the past, a duality that is soothing and restorative in a world of scattered peoples, waning traditions, and short attention spans.

These artworks carry and manifest that legacy while simultaneously capturing the zeitgeist of the modern age. They tell past and present stories about identity, history, and community through fibers and textiles woven into new mediums and innovative contexts. They summon the experience of Latin American culture by celebrating and preserving heritage while also acknowledging the people, places, and practices that were lost along the way and our present experiences and struggles.

Threaded Stories | A Future by Hand narrates the dual journey of ancestral techniques and quotidian gendered chores evolving into a dynamic contemporary art form, alongside a people embarking from their homeland to a distant place and telling our story of a past and future made by hand.