Ancestral Lines Exhibition in conjunction with FAMA
The Coral Springs Museum of Art opened its Ancestral Lines exhibition on April 4, 2025, in collaboration with the Fiber Artists Miami Association (FAMA), showcasing more than 60 original fiber artworks that delve into ancestry, cultural memory, and personal heritage. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how traditions are inherited, honored, and transformed through time through the tactile power of textile art.
Installed across the museum’s Main and East galleries, Ancestral Lines features a wide range of techniques — including weaving, embroidery, mixed-media textiles, and installation work — created by members of FAMA, a collective committed to advancing contemporary textile art. The show explores each artist’s unique connection to their lineage, often addressing themes of identity, memory, and the emotional resonance of familial traditions.
The exhibition was curated by Juliana Forero, Director of the Coral Springs Museum of Art, who developed the theme by engaging with the artists’ personal histories and uncovering the deeper significance behind their works. Forero’s own immigrant experience informed her approach, emphasizing the ways in which artistic practice can reconnect individuals to their roots.
Many of the participating artists have used their work to bridge gaps between generations, cultures, and experiences. While the museum does not publish a complete list of all contributors, a few of the artists whose work and involvement are noted through the exhibition and related events include Evelyn Politzer, a FAMA co-founder and fiber artist whose practice centers on yarn, thread, and fabric; and Fonteyne Art, whose installation Inherited Ties reflects a deeply personal engagement with cultural heritage.
Ancestral Lines also included interactive components — such as an immersive weaving activity facilitated by FAMA — and performance elements like a textile-based interpretive piece by Rosa dos Ventos, presented during the opening reception. The opening marked not only the debut of the exhibition, but also celebrated the fifth anniversary of FAMA, highlighting the growth of the organization from its origins during the pandemic into a group of hundreds of practicing fiber artists.
The stories behind the works are as diverse as the techniques themselves. Some artists revisited traditions learned in childhood or documented through research, while others used textile media to address broader themes of memory, loss, and belonging. The collective result is a multi-layered narrative that underscores how textiles can embody both emotional resonance and cultural history within the simple act of thread and fabric.
Ancestral Lines remains on view through July 5, 2025, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with more than 60 original pieces that illuminate the many ways heritage is woven into contemporary artistic practice.
