Bristol Art Museum Presents a New Exhibit, "Parallel Threads, Entangled Ends"

The Bristol Art Museum announces the opening of Parallel Threads, Entangled Ends, an extraordinary bi-national exhibition that explores the history of textile mill closures in the United States and Australia. Co-curated by Deborah Baronas (Rhode Island, United States) and Dr. Janis Hanley (Queensland, Australia), this multidisciplinary showcase is on view now until Sun. Jan. 26, 2025.

This exhibition honors the heritage of textile production and raises awareness of the enduring spirit of the workers and the evolving significance of these iconic mill structures.

This international collaborative project intertwines art installation, individual artworks, archival research, video, sound, and thought-provoking panel discussions. Complementing the exhibition are documentary films and lectures by scholars and filmmakers from both countries, offering insights into the shared experiences of mill workers and the ongoing evolution of textile heritage.

Since 2019, Guest Curators Deborah Baronas and Dr. Janis Hanley have collaborated to develop Parallel Threads. Drawing on Deborah’s visual studies of northeastern U.S. textile history and Janis’s doctoral research on Ipswich, Massachusetts’ mill heritage, this exhibition connects two worlds through contemporary art, archival interpretation, and community engagement.