Joy Ray (American, b. 1967), consensual past, 2024, thrift store denim, twine, fabric, paint, chalk. Text from “Monochrome Memories” by Paul Grainge, “The Simple Truth: The Monochrome in Modern Art” by Simon Morley, and “Psychological Dimensions of Mystery” by JP Varani. 49 x 36 x 4 in (124.5 x 91.4 x 10.1 cm). Photo: Ruben Diaz
Colgate University’s Picker Art Gallery will open its spring exhibition A Thought Is A Thread: Contemporary Artists Reworking Textile Traditions on Feb. 20 at 4:30 p.m. with a public reception.
The history of textiles is intimately tied to the development of human societies. Weaving is at the same time one of the earliest human technological advancements, the foundation upon which modern industrial nations were built, and the basis for the computing revolution. Metaphors using the language of textiles are prevalent in everyday idiomatic English: we follow threads on social media; storytellers weave tales or spin fantastic yarns; friend groups might be close-knit; and we might tie ourselves in knots trying to navigate complex situations.
A Thought Is A Thread brings together works by leading contemporary artists who investigate what textiles can still reveal about people and their relationships to each other, to themselves, and to language, land, and the future. Artworks by Faig Ahmed, Sanford Biggers, Diedrick Brackens, Melissa Cody, Suzanne Husky, Joy Ray, and Jordan Nassar present intertwining narratives that both cherish and complicate the web of meanings that emerge when traditional textile arts are given contemporary expression.
The exhibition will be on view through May 18, 2025. The opening reception, free and open to all, will feature refreshments, music, and remarks by exhibiting artist Joy Ray. A Thought Is A Thread is part of a series of exhibitions on weaving and textiles opening at Colgate University in February. The staggered openings (see “Related Events”) culminate in a gallery crawl on Feb. 21 when Colgate and Hamilton communities are invited to spend a convivial evening of music, art-making activities, and workshops at Clifford Gallery, the Longyear Museum of Anthropology, Picker Art Gallery, and the brand new Fabulation Lab in Bernstein Hall.
Thought Is A Thread: Contemporary Artists Reworking Textile Traditions is generously supported by The Friends of Picker Art Gallery.
Find out more information about the exhibitions and upcoming programming, and follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram @pagcolgate.
Related Events
***Please refer to the Colgate Events Calendar and the Picker Art Gallery website for updated information about programs and events at the museum***
Feb. 6, 2025
Exhibition opening: Unraveled: Labor and Meaning behind Weaving
5–6:30 p.m., Longyear Museum of Anthropology (Alumni Hall, 2nd floor)
This student-curated exhibition explores the incredible amount of labor and skill that goes into creating woven art. Join for refreshments, music, and art-making activities.
Feb. 12, 2025
Exhibition opening and panel discussion: For alliances with the beaver people
4:30 p.m., panel discussion at 5 p.m., Clifford Gallery
For alliances with the beaver people exhibits recent work by Suzanne Husky that deals with the history and future of regenerative relations with watersheds and beavers in particular. Featuring panelists Mike Loranty, Neil Patterson, and Patti Smith.
Co-sponsored by Colgate Arts Council, University Studies, Environmental Studies, Film and Media Studies, Biology, Romance Languages and Literature, Geography, and History.
Feb. 20, 2025
Exhibition opening: A Thought Is A Thread: Contemporary Artists Reworking Textile Traditions
4:30–6 p.m., Picker Art Gallery, (Dana Arts Center, 2nd floor)
A Thought Is A Thread brings together works by leading artists who investigate what textiles can still reveal about people and their relationships to each other, to themselves, and to language, land, and the future. Join for refreshments, music, and remarks by exhibiting artist Joy Ray.
Feb. 21, 2025
Colgate Gallery Crawl
5–8 p.m., Dana Arts Center - Picker Art Gallery and Dana 305, Alumni Hall - Longyear Museum of Anthropology and Alumni 212 (PCON Lounge), Little Hall - Clifford Gallery - Bernstein Hall, Fabulation Lab (Bernstein 103)
Join us for the Colgate Gallery Crawl. This program, inspired by Colgate’s commitment to Arts, Creativity, and Innovation, represents a collaboration between University Museums, Clifford Gallery, and LGBTQ+ initiatives. Visitors are invited to make their way through our campus gallery and museum spaces to celebrate textiles, fiber arts, and the people who make them. Fiber art crafting activities will be available at each gallery.
About Picker Art Gallery at Colgate University
Picker Art Gallery at Colgate University is a teaching and collecting museum that engages local and global communities through innovative exhibitions, interdisciplinary research, dynamic outreach, and meaningful experiences with art across cultures, time, and media. The museum’s permanent collection includes nearly 11,000 objects, among them approximately 8,000 works of art on paper, 1,400 photographs, 900 paintings, and 300 sculptures, primarily from the twentieth century. It is located on the Colgate University campus, off Lally Lane, on the second floor of the Paul Rudolph–designed Dana Arts Center.
Picker Art Gallery is open Tuesdays–Fridays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sundays, noon–5 p.m., and during special events. Picker is currently closed on Mondays, Saturdays, and major holidays. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit colgate.edu/picker or call 315-228-7634.