Illustration of people at table.
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Above: Patricia Polacco, Illustration for The Keeping Quilt (Simon & Schuster). Collection of The Mazza Museum, The University of Findlay. © 1998 Patricia Polacco.

Members' Preview for Weaving Words: Fiber Arts and Picture Books

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Join us for a special preview of Weaving Words: Fiber Arts and Picture Books, an exhibition that explores the connection between fiber arts and picture books over the past 60 years of illustration history. Curated by Isabel Ruiz Cano, Weaving Words takes a closer look at how artists have experimented with materials to replicate intricate textures and even used the fiber arts themselves. When woven together, these illustrations showcase the many facets of storytelling, and the common thread that binds us together: textiles as story, identity, and expression. The exhibition features artworks from 32 picture books, including art by Juana Martinez-Neal, Dinara Mirtalipova, Vesper Stamper, Faith Ringgold, and Salley Mavor. 

The Preview begins at 5:30 pm with hors d’oeuvres in the Great Hall, followed by a conversation in the Auditorium from 6:30-7:30 pm with Guest Curator Isabel Ruiz Cano, and featured artists Cozbi Cabrera, Salley Mavor, and Winona Nelson. The evening concludes at 8 pm. Weaving Words opens to the public the following day.  

Can’t make it? Tune in to the panel discussion from wherever you are.

Support for this exhibition is provided by The Coby Foundation with exhibition design by Theory One. 

Not yet a member? Join now for always free admission and shop discounts for a year.

Who You'll Meet
Picture of artist Salley Mavor.

Salley Mavor

Artist Salley Mavor has spent over 4 decades developing her signature style and working methods, carving out her own niche within the children’s book world and the fiber art community. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in Illustration, Mavor developed her distinctive approach to three-dimensional “fabric relief” in the 1970s. Since then, she has created intricate figures and landscapes with needle, thread, fabric, beads, and found materials, occupying a unique space between sculpture, embroidery, illustration, and storytelling. 

Her children’s books include Pocketful of Posies, recipient of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for illustration. She works in her home studio in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Winona Nelson Black and White headshot.

Winona Nelson

Winona Nelson’s credits include concept art for “Echo” for Marvel Studios and “The Last of Us Part II” for Naughty Dog, Magic card illustration and visual and narrative worldbuilding for Wizards of the Coast, and book covers and picture books for Simon & Schuster, Scholastic, Penguin Random House, and others. Her picture book work has garnered starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and in 2026 won a Minnesota Book Award for Children’s Literature for “All The Stars In The Sky” written by Art Coulson.

Winona is from Duluth, MN, and is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Ojibwe. She currently resides in rural Pennsylvania with artist husband Anthony Palumbo and 2 cats.

Isabel Ruiz in one of the Museum's galleries with art hanging in the background

Isabel Ruiz Cano

Isabel worked at The Carle from 2022-2026, most recently as Associate Curator. She is currently a doctoral student in the History of Art department at UC Berkeley.

Explore Further
Illustration of motorcycle on weaving rug.
Upcoming Exhibition

Weaving Words: Fiber Arts and Picture Books

November 21, 2026 - May 2, 2027