KAREN PATTERSON JOINS THE FABRIC WORKSHOP AND MUSEUM AS CURATOR

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) in Philadelphia announced today that it appointed Karen Patterson as its first-ever curator. She will join the forty-two-year-old institution from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC), where she currently serves as senior curator.

“Karen Patterson is an ideal fit for this position, coming from another process-oriented institution focused on both the creation and exhibition of contemporary works,” executive director Susan Lubowsky Talbott said in a statement. “She has championed the work of a diverse group of artists and we are thrilled to welcome her to further the creative and cultural impact of FWM.”

During her tenure at JMKAC, Patterson curated over forty exhibitions and site-specific installations and oversaw a residency program. Her recent projects include “Makeshift” (2018), a collaboration with Michelle Grabner and the largest of four exhibitions featured as part of its Live/Work series; “The Road Less Traveled” (2017); and “Dead Treez,” which was also presented at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Prior to joining the arts center, she cofounded a twelve-hour public art festival called Nocturne: Art at Night, which takes place annually in Nova Scotia. 

Commenting on her new role, Patterson said: “I see the Fabric Workshop and Museum as an artist-centered powerhouse of experimentation, collaboration, education, and presentation and am excited to contribute to that legacy.”