TEXTILE EXHIBITIONS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THIS YEAR

February 23, 2026

Janet Echelman's exhibition at the Renwick Museum once prompted viewers to get horizontal on the massive rug and look up to the magical ceiling of her work. Yesterday's tour of Janet Echelman: Radical Softness at the Sarasota Art Museum drew a mix of folks who spent a great afternoon together.

Curator Lacie Barbour led us through the evolution of the artist; viewing the Echelman exhibition at SAM is to see the anatomy of a genius. A concert pianist too shy to perform before an audience, Echelman became a Fulbright scholar who put color to surfaces, first drawing then painting and collaging. Her work caught the eye of Robert Rauschenberg, who saw her through her coming opportunities. Fast forward to today. Her hand-knotted fishnet works are based on a precise computer modeling, engineered and executed by human hand. Barbour worked with Echelman as she installed monumental pieces in the SAM's 80-foot high space.