By John Burton Jr.
For generations, Black communities have understood something the broader art world is only recently beginning to fully appreciate: fabric tells stories. Quilts, church hats, denim jackets, banners and patchwork blankets have long served as vessels for memory, identity, survival and family history. They preserve stories that might otherwise be lost and connect generations through creativity and craftsmanship.
That understanding is at the heart of the Transatlantic Stars Project at McColl Center. This spring, the Charlotte arts institution became the sole East Coast visual arts host for the European Union’s inaugural Transatlantic Stars Project, a three-year cultural exchange initiative led by the European Union Delegation to the United States. While the program formally connects artists from Europe and America, the work unfolding inside McColl Center’s studios feels far more personal than diplomatic.
The inaugural residency features Irish fiber artist Ally Nolan alongside American artists Nastassja Swift and Beverly Smith. Through textiles and fiber-based art, the three artists explore themes of identity, ancestry, labor, memory and belonging. Their work transforms fabric into a language capable of expressing complex cultural histories and personal experiences.
For Black audiences in particular, the work carries a special resonance. When Beverly Smith draws inspiration from Southern quilting traditions or Nastassja Swift layers fabric into reflections on Black memory and lineage, they tap into cultural traditions that many families already recognize instinctively. Their art reflects stories that have been passed down through generations and preserved through everyday acts of creativity.
The project extends beyond gallery walls through artist residencies, public conversations, open studios and community engagement programs designed to place artists in direct dialogue with Charlotte residents. Those interactions create opportunities for meaningful discussions about culture, identity and belonging while encouraging residents to experience contemporary art in new ways.
Charlotte provides a fitting backdrop for the exchange. As a city experiencing rapid growth while continuing to define its cultural identity, Charlotte offers fertile ground for conversations about heritage, community and change. The Transatlantic Stars Project contributes to those conversations by bringing together artists whose work explores the connections between place, memory and human experience.
The choice to focus on fiber art is particularly significant. Historically associated with women, domestic labor and marginalized communities, textiles have often been overlooked within traditional art institutions. By placing fiber artists at the center of its inaugural program, the Transatlantic Stars Project elevates a medium that has long served as a powerful form of storytelling and cultural preservation.
Ally Nolan’s work, rooted in Irish textile traditions, examines themes of labor, femininity, migration and inherited identity through tactile installations that invite viewers to consider the histories woven into everyday materials. Together with the work of Swift and Smith, her contributions demonstrate how art can bridge cultures while revealing the universal experiences that connect people across borders.
More than an artist residency, the Transatlantic Stars Project is a reminder that creativity has always been a tool for preserving history, building community and fostering understanding. Through fiber art, these artists create conversations that stretch across oceans while remaining deeply connected to the communities where those stories begin.
