Threaded Currents
January 22–April 12, 2026

Heather Raquel Phillips. Nip, Tuck, Paint, Pluck, 2022. Pigment on bleached cotton yardage. Photo credit: Carlos Avendaño.

Philadelphia, PA—January 14, 2026—The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM), presents Threaded Currents, an exhibition showcasing large-scale, textile-based works by former FWM Apprentices who are PAFA alumni or students. From January 22 through April 12, 2026, the exhibition highlights the intersection of classical fine arts training and experimental printmaking, bringing together more than 30 works by 20 artists.

Curated by 2025 FWM Apprentices Sarah Lewis and Greg Martino, Threaded Currents is centered around a selection of striking repeat-patterns captured on banners that hang at an imposing seven feet in length. Each print was hand screenprinted during the artists’ participation in the FWM Apprentice Training Program—a highly regarded, hands-on program that trains emerging artists in contemporary screenprinting and textile processes. Works created before and after the apprenticeship suggest how the experience influenced and expanded the artists’ practice. In addition to finished works, the exhibition includes the artists’ personal sketches, mylar screen drawings, color tests, and printed objects such as pillows and sculptures, offering insight into the collaborative and process-driven nature of the apprenticeship.

Threaded Currents explores how traditional training in drawing, painting, and sculpture translates into contemporary textile works; how mentorship and collaboration shape emerging artistic identities; and how historical methods and experimental approaches converge in the studios of artists forging new paths in material and conceptual art.

Featured Artists

Jill Adler (MFA ’21); Alyse Bernstein (Certificate ’94); Sinéad Cahill (BFA ’13); Margery Cercado (Low-Res MFA ’24); Chloe Coover (Certificate ’12); Justine Ditto (BFA ’17); Anthony Folks (BFA ’14); Veronica Hanssens (Certificate ’10); Ben Jones (Certificate ’12); Doah Lee (MFA Faculty ’20–24); Sarah Lewis (Certificate ’09); Greg Martino (Staff ’11–23); Oonagh McKenna (Youth Council ’23–25); YuLee Murphy (Summer Academy ’23); Heather Raquel Phillips (MFA Faculty ’21–22); Athena Scott (MFA ’22); Alice Thompson (MFA ’06); Joshua Washington (MFA ’24).

Plus borrowed works by former FWM Artists-in-Residence Jody Pinto and Jonathan Lyndon Chase.

Public Programs + Events

Threaded Currents Opening Reception
Thursday, January 22 | 4:00–6:00 PM
PAFA, 128 N. Broad Street, Hamilton Building, School of Fine Arts and Tuttleman Sculpture Galleries
Pay-What-You-Wish 
Be the first to see Threaded Currents with curators, exhibiting artists, and PAFA and FWM representatives.

PAFA Open Studio Night
Friday, February 6 | 5:00–8:00 PM
PAFA, 128 N. Broad Street, Hamilton Building, Floors 4, 6, 7, and 9
Pay-What-You-Wish
Explore the studios of PAFA students and view works in progress. Threaded Currents artists will present live printmaking demonstrations in PAFA’s Print Shop, offering hands-on insight into their process. 

Painterly Print Workshop + FWM Tour
Sunday, March 1 | 2:00–4:00 PM
FWM, 1214 Arch Street 
$45 Public | $40 FWM + PAFA members
Inspired by PAFA-trained textile designer June Groff, participants will create a one-of-a-kind scarf using mono printing techniques with two color layers.

Seasonal Shifts: Large-Format Repeat Pattern Printing Workshop + FWM Tour 
Sunday, March 15 | 1:30–4:30 PM
FWM, 1214 Arch Street
$65 Public | $55 FWM + PAFA members
Participants will learn to print a large-format, repeating pattern using mono printing. Take home your own yard of custom fabric!

PAFA Visiting Artist Program Lecture 
Wednesday, April 8 | 11:45 AM–1:00 PM 
PAFA, 128 N. Broad Street, Hamilton Building, Rhoden Arts Center
Pay-What-You-Wish | Registration Required
A lecture and discussion with one of the exhibiting artists will highlight contemporary approaches to textile and process-driven art.

Organizing Credits

Threaded Currents is curated by Sarah Lewis and Greg Martino. The exhibition is presented by the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in partnership with The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

Exhibition Location

PAFA, Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 2nd Floor 
128 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

About the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America’s first art museum and school, renowned for its collections of American art and its legacy of artist education.

About The Fabric Workshop and Museum
Founded in 1977, The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is an internationally recognized center for artists working with new materials, processes, and collaborations through its Artist-in-Residence and Apprentice Training Programs.

Media Contact

Lisa Willis, Director of Marketing, Communications, and Event Services 
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
lwillis@pafa.org
215-391-4127

Justin Rubich, Director of Marketing and Communications
The Fabric Workshop and Museum
jrubich@fabricworkshopandmuseum.org
321-422-9734