MAIN GALLERY EXHIBITIONS

TAUNY’s historical, culturally significant exhibits in The TAUNY Center present the distinct aspects of the history and traditions of life in the North Country. Research-driven, visually appealing with artifacts and historical content, these displays offer audiences an interactive insight into the region’s geography, artisan practices, and cultural identities.

2025 Exhibition: Threads of Connection: Mohawk Arts and Environmental Stewardship

This exhibition celebrates the artisan work and cultural practices of ten Akwesasne Mohawk artists, highlighting their deep connections with the natural world and their ongoing responses to environmental challenges.

Exhibition Schedule:

The TAUNY Center, 53 Main Street, Canton, NY 13617
Saturday, October 18, 2025 – Saturday, February 14, 2026
Akwesasne Cultural Center, 321 NY-37, Akwesasne, NY 13655
Friday, March 13 – Friday, July 17, 2026
The Folklife Center at Crandall Public Library, 251 Glen St., Glens Falls, NY 12801
Opening August 2026 – Folklife Gallery

Opening Reception:

The Opening Reception was held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at The TAUNY Center. The event included a Q&A session with participating artists.

About the Exhibit:

Threads of Connection explores the artisan-based practices of the Akwesasne Mohawk people, including basketmaking, ceramics, and fiber and visual arts (such as weaving and beaded regalia). Accompanying the artwork are histories and stories that underscore the cultural significance of these practices, the environmental threats the community faces, and the resilience and celebration expressed by the artists.

This exhibition aims to provide visitors with a deeper appreciation of the traditions and contemporary realities of the Akwesasne Mohawk people. Its tour across multiple venues encourages cross-community engagement, inviting distinct audiences to explore Akwesasne and vice versa—fostering greater historical awareness and social connection.

Exhibition Credits:

Threads of Connection: Mohawk Arts and Environmental Stewardship was made possible by support from the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the Coby Foundation, and SeaComm Federal Credit Union.

This project was also supported in part by the Mid Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts – Community Projects program of Mid Atlantic Arts, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"legacy textile exhibit"

Opening Reception was on Saturday, August 2nd 2025.

This exhibit in the Upstairs Gallery at the TAUNY Center showcased the hand made textiles of over 30 contemporary North Country textile artisans. These works represented techniques, materials and cultural designs passed on from family members or older artisans, and sourced from small local farms when possible. These heirloom creations span the spectrum of fiber arts; knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, dyeing, felting and needlework.

The categories of textiles on exhibit included “Pasture to Finished Work” in which the fibers – whether knitted, felted or woven – were sourced locally from either the artists’ own animals or from nearby farms. In these works, sheared wool was hand carded, hand spun and dyed to form the yarns used to make the finished textiles. “Milestone Textiles” is a second category in the exhibit which represents the long-standing tradition of creating works to commemorate a significant life event such as a wedding, anniversary or birth. And finally, there are works in the category of “Passing the Torch”, which center on mentorship, collaborative community and continuity of folk traditions. Selections from the TAUNY Knitting/Fiber Arts Group are highlighted in this category.

All the hand made textiles in the exhibit exemplify the traditional arts and folk life TAUNY has celebrated and recorded for the past 40 years.

A CELEBRATION OF LOCAL WOMEN ARTISTS & LEADERS

The Dinner Party: Judy Chicago Reimagined is an installation with 16 collaborating women identifying artists honoring 9 various women who have made an impact on our community with their work.

Artists include: Dianne Drayse-Alonso, Katie Schuler, Sandra Nestlerode-Hale, Jess Anderson, Lisa Dashnaw, Betsy Comeau, Martha Cline, Catherine LaPointe-Vollmer, Vanessa Vaverchak, Laura Pearson, Mona Zillah, Erica Kelso, Amy Pennington-Lee, Sue Young, Virginia Burnett, and Liza Paige.

Seats at the Table include: Judy Chicago, Beverly Cook, Harriet Mickey Liotta, Julia Crane, Sally James Farnham, Patty Richie, Grace Hudowalski, Flora Fry, and Sunday Smith.

Featured art, left: “Place-Setting honoring Beverly Cook” by Sue Young

Fiberistas - Background & Artists

The Fiberistas are a North Country group who meet regularly at The TAUNY Center to explore and expand the boundaries of fiber arts by creating textiles made with both traditional and innovative skills and fibers. They presented new work based on a distinct themes in an exhibition that ran from February – April 20205 and featured pieces from each artist of the collective. The Fiberistas artisan makers are: Kathy Burns, Donna Hastings, Ann Heidenreich, Sonja Jensen, Melanie Kimbler, Susan McAvoy, Rebecca Muir MacKellar, Adele Lunan Vandenburgh, Leah Zelkowitz

Fiberistas: "Two Sides of The Road"

The two slice quilts in the Exhibit are from panoramic photographs of both sides of Route 3 in the Town of Tupper Lake. The photographer, who is also a contributing member of the group, chose to record the light of an early summer day in opposite directions from the same standing position. Each Fiberista interpreted how the light fell on the water, trees and fields of flowers in the foreground, capturing the beauty of the Adirondacks.

The second group project on display was “Bridging the North Country”. Each participating quilter chose a favorite local bridge or one that was interesting enough to warrant an interpretation in fabric.