Wayne Center for the Arts presents ‘A Common Thread’
Wayne Center for the Arts will present “A Common Thread,” a traveling invitational exhibition honoring the life, influence and artistic legacy of the late Sue Cavanaugh — respected Ohio fiber artist, activist and member of the Columbus art community. The exhibit will be on view from June 12 through Aug. 7 in the Gault and Looney galleries.
Before her passing, Cavanaugh left behind a large-scale fabric installation at the Mansfield Art Museum. That final artwork became the seed for “A Common Thread,” conceived by Caren Petersen, owner of Muse Gallery and Art Services. Rather than letting the fabric fade into storage, Petersen envisioned a way to carry Cavanaugh’s work forward.
Over 50 artists honored Cavanaugh’s legacy by creating new works using a portion of her original fabric installation. Some altered or incorporated the cloth directly while others responded to its colors, forms or emotional resonance.
The show will feature works by Catherine Bell-Smith, Robie Benvie, River Berry, Alice Carpenter, Dana Grubbe, Ann B. Kim, Ellen Knolls, Janette Knowles, Dalia Koppes, Randall LaGro, Jennifer Landau, Tom Megalis, Cody F. Miller, Paula Nees, Char Norman, Frauke Palmer, Gio Petersen, Dawn Petrill, the Phoenix Rising Printmaking Cooperative (Karen Albanese Campbell, Anne Cushman, Judith Steele), Joy Pratt, Judy Rush, Barb Vogel, Jo Westfall and Anona Wheeler.
This moving exhibition will travel across the country over the next three years. Upcoming venues include The Riffe Gallery in Columbus, July 1 through Oct. 1; Patrick Losinski Gallery in Columbus, Feb. 1 through April 1, 2026; Ohio Craft Museum in Columbus, Aug. 8 through Sept. 30, 2026; Cultural Arts Center in Columbus, Nov. 6 through Dec. 19, 2026; and Visions Gallery of Textile Arts in San Diego, California, March 6 through July 13, 2027.
“‘A Common Thread’ is more than an art exhibit; it is a living tribute, a conversation across time and media, and a testament to how one artist’s voice can continue to inspire long after she’s gone,” said Sara Starr Brink, executive director of Wayne Center for the Arts.
Admission is free to the public. For gallery hours and special programming related to this exhibit, visit www.WayneArtsCenter.org.