“Threads of Identity”
Scarab Club
217 Farnsworth
Detroit
March 5, 2026
The fiber art exhibition “Threads Of Identity" at Scarab Club is such a stunner of a show that I’ve now been three times in just over a week.
If you didn’t know about it, don’t sweat it. I barely got the notice either, a stark reminder that it’s hard business to promote the arts in Detroit. And that’s even if you’re an iconic spot like the Scarab Club, which was formed all the way back in 1907 and has been in this cozy spot behind the Detroit Institute of Arts since 1928.
“Threads Of Identity" builds on Detroit’s legacy as an arts & crafts hub for over a century. Here, there’s a lot of fresh names and ideas. Like Nadine Cloutier’s “Experiencing my first Redwood,” a piece made by rug hooking linen and woot strips into a stunning, slightly psychedelic upward glimpse at a massive (and somewhat phallic) redwood. Good luck finding anything about Nadine on the internet. (Seriously, if you do, email me.)
The trippy “Temple of Tomorrow” by Liane Al Ghusain looks like elements pulled from a periodic table and arranged into a window surrounded by curtains. Ghusain is a young Palestinian-Kuwaiti artist and writer living and working in metro Detroit. In her bio, she writes about “integrating spirituality and feminism into contemporary life.” Without saying it, this piece oozes that intention to the patron, and is handsomely displayed on a tree branch versus a frame or other traditional hanging.
One of the best in show was by Kathleen Bricker, who boasts on her Instagram bio: “Newly retired - attempting to navigate the new chapter with art and grace - and dose of sass!”
And what a chapter it is! Her piece is called “2025 in Stitch.” It’s just that – the personal moments, the big news stories, the injustices, the victories (spoiler: there are not many), and everything in between. You could spend hours twisting your neck and following this maze of memories that she's lovingly embroidered into this vintage tablecloth. To charge only $800 for this is a wonder. And of course it’s already sold.
This Sunday will be your last chance to see “Threads of Identity” at Scarab Club. I wish I would’ve gotten there sooner. I wish more people knew about this show. I know, however, that those who did will be thinking about it for weeks to come after witnessing for the first time or remembering once again the power of textiles and handmade works by an array of artists at many different points of their careers.
If you have some time this weekend to get over there, I highly recommend it.
