Artwork by Jackie deRuyter.
FALMOUTH – In the world of fiber art, every stitch holds a story—often one of resilience, reinvention, and quiet strength.
From March 4 to June 14, 2026, Highfield Hall and Gardens in Falmouth will host an exhibit titled 2nd Chances featuring the seven fiber artists of Fiber Fusion: Christine Anderson, Jackie DeRuyter, Carol Flax, Lorraine Gentile Haynes, Nicole Goldman, Lisa Horton, and Toni Newhall.
The Opening Reception is March 6 from 3 to 7pm at Highfield Hall.
Fiber Fusion is a group of seven women, all fiber artists and all living and working on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
They come together to learn from one another and to share their passion for fiber with others. Each has a unique approach, yet all rely on the malleable and evocative qualities of thread, fabric, paper and natural materials. Each has a different message they want to convey, an individual voice, yet together the work speaks worlds about the environment, their personal and shared histories and traditions.
Artwork by Christine Anderson.
In answer to the question, “Why Fiber Art,” artist Nicole Goldman has an answer: “In an age of digital overload, fiber art offers a tactile, grounding experience. It invites viewers to slow down, to feel, to reflect. And in the hands of these seven women, it becomes a tool for storytelling, about our environment, our personal and shared histories and traditions.”
This exhibit is a call to honor the work that women do—seen and unseen, celebrated and dismissed. It’s a reminder that second chances aren’t just possible. They’re powerful.
The title Second Chances has a special meaning for these artists. For many of these artists, fiber art is a return—a second chance to delve into creative expression after decades spent in careers, caregiving, or other roles that demanded their time
Their work explores the passage of time and the overlooked value in both materials and memory. Historically, women have sewn their experiences into fabric—unseen, uncelebrated.
Opening during Women’s History Month, this exhibit reclaims that legacy, spotlighting the artists’ fearless and imaginative expressions.
Artwork by Toni Newhall.
More than a showcase of craft, 2nd Chances is a reflection on renewal—of self, story, and substance. Each artist transforms materials into deeply personal works that speak to change, growth, and the narratives we choose to reshape. Through textiles, paper, and reclaimed and natural elements, they offer a compelling meditation on what it means to begin again.
This renaissance is deeply personal. It’s about reclaiming time, honoring intuition, and finally giving space to the creativity that has quietly waited in the wings.
2nd Chances is a celebration of what happens when women return to themselves. When they pick up the needle, the loom, the dye pot—and stitch their stories into the world.
While all can relate to the term “fiber artists,” each has their own specialty.
Christine Anderson of Cotuit stitches and weaves, beads and embellishes, creating delicate books and collages.
Jackie deRuyter of Brewster paints canvases and forms them into dynamically-shaped sculptures.
Artwork by Lisa Horton.
Carol Flax of West Yarmouth depicts landscapes inspired by her Cape Cod surroundings fashioned from repurposed cut paper.
Lorraine Gentile Haynes of Mashpee creates energetic quilted textile compositions using new and found fabrics. Her quilted work is pictured at the top of this article.
Lisa Horton understands the beauty of small objects using organic materials, rice paper and fabric to create whimsical assemblages
Nicole Goldman of Woods Hole brings thread to new levels depicting iconography from around the world in her fiber vessels.
Toni Newhall celebrates tradition using fibers in combination with mixed media to expand the definition of “women’s work”
During the 2nd Chances exhibit, each week, one or more of the artists will be available during Saturday hours at Highfield, to answer questions and guide visitors. At the end of the exhibition run, on Thursday, June 11th, there will be a salon with all the artists, discussing the meaning of 2nd chances and their artistic practice.
Artwork by Carol Flax.
Christine Anderson will hold two workshops (March 28 and May 2) – one on bookbinding and one on paper weaving.
Nicole Goldman will hold an artist’s talk on Thursday, April 9, 2026 from 5 to 7pm discussing her process of creating fiber vessels based on travels and iconography from around the world.
Goldman’s work in the show is part of Spiral Journey, a body of sculptural fiber works inspired by a family-led circumnavigation of the globe in 2002.
Each piece takes the form of a vessel—an archetypal object that holds, contains, supports, and nurtures—serving as both a physical structure and a cultural repository. Constructed from textiles and paper ephemera gathered during travel, the vessels act as intimate archives of place, memory, and movement.
Artwork by Nicole Goldman
The vessel is a ubiquitous form, present in every culture and throughout history, traditionally used to carry sustenance, ritual objects, and meaning. In Spiral Journey, this universal form becomes a framework for exploring cultural continuity and exchange. Regional iconography—drawn from landscape, pattern, language, and tradition—is embedded through stitch, surface, and structure. Maps, newspapers, and collected fabrics are transformed through embroidery, quilting, weaving, and collage into dimensional forms that reference geography, architecture, and lived experience.
The spiral operates as both a structural and conceptual motif, symbolizing continuity, return, and the non-linear nature of memory. Through processes of deconstruction and reconstruction, materials are reimagined to embody layered cultural narratives—honoring ancestral traditions while reflecting contemporary perspectives shaped by global interconnectedness.
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ArtsCape is a Cape Cod Wave column about arts on Cape Cod written by Laura M. Reckford, co-founder of Cape Cod Wave and executive director of the Falmouth Art Center.
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Hi. Thanks so much for posting this article. Looks great, and we appreciate the in-depth information and photos. I’ve posted it on Facebook and will post in Instagram as well.
Hope you’ll be able to join us for the opening on Friday, March 6th from 3:30-6:30. I’ll leave your name at the door!