Our newest exhibit, California Fibers: The Languages of Fiber, will open August 15 at The Huntington Beach Art Center in Huntington Beach, California. The exhibit will continue through October 24. There is an opening reception on Saturday, August 22, from 6:30-9 PM, and an “Art for Lunch” artist talk on Thursday, September 24, from 11:30 AM-1:30 PM.
Carrie Burckle, What the Body Keeps 1; Screen print on cotton muslin with textile inks, markers, stitched, silk organza
Suzanne Isken, the juror, writes that “California Fibers: The Languages of Fiber invites viewers to consider fiber as a form of communication—one that speaks through structure, material, and process. Throughout history, textiles have carried stories, encoded cultural knowledge, marked identity, and recorded human experience. If the syntax of fiber’s language is structure, then texture, rhythm, pattern, and form are its diction. The exhibition shows how contemporary artists continue that conversation, expanding textile traditions into new forms of abstract visual expression.”
Charlotte Bird, Hand Towel - Urban Discards; Mixed media: collected flattened drink cans and junk, barbeque vegetable holder, melted plastic bags, cotton fabric, threads/ artist-constructed holder, machine sewn, machine quilted, hand attached junk
California Fibers: The Languages of Fiber features the work of twenty members of California Fibers, including Sandy Abrams, Charlotte Bird, Ashley V. Blalock, Carrie Burckle, Doshi, Polly Jacobs Giacchina, Lydia Tjioe Hall, AniFaye Korngute, Brecia Kralovic-Logan, Mônica Lóss, Chari Myers, Carol Nilsen, Marty Ornish, Michael F. Rohde, Rebecca Smith, Cameron Taylor-Brown, Elise Vazelakis, Debra Weiss, Peggy Wiedemann, and Aneesa Shami Zizzo.
Elise Vaselakis, DROPPED OUT; Loom woven fiber, brass and copper wire
California Fibers: The Languages of Fiber is part of Handwork 2026, Craft in America’s nationwide semiquincentennial collaboration showcasing the importance of the handmade and celebrating the diversity of craft that defines America.
Doshi, The Wind Stirs the Leaves; wool, botanical prints of red plum leaves, acid dye, organza, appliqué
About SUZANNE ISKEN
Suzanne Isken served as Executive Director of the Craft Contemporary from 2011 through 2023. Under her direction, the museum presented landmark exhibitions that highlighted the careers of under-recognized craft-based artists. Previously, she served as the Director of Education at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Awards include recognition as the 2004 Pacific Region Art Educator of the Year by the National Art Education Association. Isken has authored articles in Academic Medicine and School Arts and contributed the essay “Art and Cancer in the Public Space” to Cancer and Creativity (2019), edited by Esther Drifuss-Kattan. Most recently, Isken contributed to the book Handwork, which will be released in July 2026 by Phaedon Books. She is a board member of the Center for Craft in North Carolina and Textile Arts Los Angeles.
About HUNTINGTON BEACH ART CENTER
The Huntington Beach Art Center (HBAC) is a community arts and cultural center serving Huntington Beach and the Southern California region. The Art Center opened its doors to the public in 1995 and presents the works of artists producing in all media. Through exhibitions, performances, film/video screenings, lectures, and educational programming, HBAC serves to advance public awareness and understanding of cultural, historic, and contemporary perspectives. The Art Center is located at 538 Main Street in Huntington Beach, CA. Center hours are Tuesday from noon – 8pm, Wednesday through Thursday from noon-6pm and Friday and Saturday from noon-5pm. Admission is free.
About CALIFORNIA FIBERS
California Fibers, founded in 1970, supports artistic growth and professional advancement for contemporary Southern California fiber artists. The imagination and superb craftsmanship of these artists place them in the highest echelons of their fields. The group has an extensive exhibition history in the USA and abroad. Many of its members are well-represented in museums and private collections and are recipients of prestigious awards from around the world. Their creative expression includes weaving, basketry, sculpture, quilting, embroidery, felting, surface design, knitting, crochet, wearables, and mixed media.