OPENING CELEBRATION:

The Stitches Between Us:
Women’s Handwork & Our Shared Stories

Tuesday, May 26, 2026
10:30 AM - NOON 

Join Bennington College Faculty Tilly Grimes, Teaching Assistant Cianna Lee, and the students of Bennington College's spring exhibit design class, "oh, the stitchery," for an exploration into the women of the Park-McCullough house under a lens pointed straight down the needle. The student-creators of the exhibit will be on hand to discuss their research, their experience working with and in the Park-McCullough collection, and the intriguing and sometimes challenging themes that emerged during the semester. The Park-McCullough Staff and Board of Trustees invite you to join in celebrating the results of their hard work through 2026's special exhibit: "The Stitches Between Us: Women's Handwork & Our Shared Stories."  

The students have undertaken a collaborative deep-dive into handcraft (think needlepoint, knitting, crocheting, mending, quilting, sewing, and other arts and tasks) as a means of expression, reflection of gender expectations and class divide, and what handcraft meant in the time of industrialization. Learn about the daily lives of women in the 19th century, including those of the Hall/Park/McCullough family and the working class around them, as well as the intersection of race with class, where it meets fiber art/craft. Additionally,  see and experience firsthand the results of a community committed to craft, history, heritage, and social themes, as were the many who stewarded the home into the nonprofit organization it is today. 

This special opening exhibit includes brief remarks by Tilly Grimes, Cianna Lee and museum director Polly Raine, followed by student stories, anecdotes, and hands-on introductions to "The Stitches Between Us." Refreshments, Q&A, and time to wander self-guided through the exhibit will be provided. FREE.

Please, RSVP by May 22, to: info@parkmccullough.org, with your name and the names of any additional guests joining you.