Changing Threads Exhibition and Award is an annual high calibre contemporary art award and exhibition that celebrates contemporary fibre and textiles through innovation, expertise, conceptual prowess and humour. 2026 is the 16th year.

Over the years, artists from all around the country have entered the exhibition and award with works ranging from the spectacular to the sublime, often using materials not usually seen on art gallery walls. Changing Threads allows and encourages contemporary fibre and textile artists to explore a variety of possibilities, pushing pre-conceived ideas of the limits of the medium.

The Awards will be announced at Refinery ArtSpace on Friday 5 June.

One of the key goals for Arts Council Nelson is to reaffirm Nelson as the country’s leading centre for crafts. This is evident through the success and national visibility of the annual Changing Threads exhibition and award for textiles, as well as the biennial Nelson Jewellery Week and Nelson Clay Week.