A Common Thread

Ohio Craft Museum
Columbus, Ohio
August 9–September 26, 2026

A Common Thread is a celebration of artistic connection, collaboration and continuity. Caren Petersen, owner of Muse Gallery, developed the idea after fiber artist Sue Cavanaugh died in 2022, leaving behind an unfinished, large-scale fabric installation. Rather than allowing the work to remain in storage, Petersen imagined a project that would extend its story through the hands of fellow artists.

A Common Thread will honor her work, wherein artists will use parts and pieces of this installation in their own work, the concept being that artwork should be carried forward. They will create their own vision, in their own style, mixed with their own materials.

Participating artists were invited to incorporate fragments of Cavanaugh’s fabric installation into their own work, transform the material or simply draw inspiration from its colors, textures and spirit. The resulting collection is visually diverse but interconnected, with each artwork linked by a literal common thread to Cavanaugh.