November 7-29, 2025
A Common Thread
November 7–29, 2025
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7th, 5:30–8:00 PM
Programming: TBA
The Bells Gallery presents A Common Thread, a juried group exhibition of contemporary quilts that surveys both the enduring legacy and contemporary relevance of textile-based practices, bringing together fourteen artists from across seven states, ranging from Alabama, Maryland, Connecticut, Michigan, Colorado, New York, and Texas. The exhibition showcases a broad spectrum of work: from traditional pieced quilts rooted in regional and familial traditions to conceptual works that share social histories, identity, labor, and storytelling through fiber.
Historically, quilting has occupied a unique position at the intersection of utility, artistry, and cultural recordkeeping. Often dismissed within the confines of domestic labor or craft, quiltmaking has increasingly been recognized as a vital form of visual art, one that challenges hierarchies of medium and centers practices often associated with women, rural communities, and marginalized voices. In this context, A Common Thread functions both as an homage and an inquiry—honoring quilting’s material history while critically engaging with its place in contemporary art discourse.
The artists in this exhibition represent a cross-section of American quiltmaking today, united by a shared commitment to the medium’s tactile language. Their quilts on view in A Common Thread underscore the quilt as a vital contemporary form and one that continues to evolve, provoke, and connect across generations and geographies.
Participating Artists:
Jenna Clark (Birmingham, Alabama)
Monique Crabb (Baltimore, Maryland)
Zoe Frederick (Brooklyn, New York)
Amanda Isaac Hamrick (Eufaula, Alabama)
Jamie Jones (Dothan, Alabama)
Jennifer McCohnell (Birmingham, Alabama)
Heather Mawson (Detroit, Michigan)
Alan Neider (Hamden, Connecticut)
Casey Roberts (Marion, Alabama)
Julian Sease (Baltimore, Maryland)
Benjamin Sorrell (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Lillis Taylor (Birmingham, Alabama)
Susana Vizcarra (Huntsville, Alabama)
Jenny Weldon (Colorado)