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TROUTBECK AND OBJECT & THING PRESENT A SOLO EXHIBITION BY KIVA MOTNYK
A site-specific series of new work, Kiva Motnyk’s fiber-based, nature-inspired wall works are now on view at Troutbeck
Troutbeck and Object & Thing are honored to collaborate in presenting a solo exhibition of fiber-based wall works by New York artist Kiva Motnyk, on view in the Gallery, Library and Palm Court spaces at Troutbeck through November. Home to Naturalists and creative minds for centuries, Motnyk’s current exhibition continues Troutbeck’s traditions of enciting and hosting nature-based invention.
Motnyk spent time at Troutbeck during the summer months, collecting botanical materials from the property’s extensive gardens and partnering with chef Vincent Gilberti to re-purpose vegetable matter, such as onion skins from the kitchen, to make natural dyes for the works. Motnyk is deeply inspired by nature, often titling her pieces after the landscape surrounding her home in the Catskills. She approaches her work as though painting with fabric, often drawing out sketches for her color-blocked panels before beginning her stitching. For Troutbeck, Motnyk planned a site-specific commission for the library windows, along with a new body of work for the gallery space. The opening events on September 27 include a public talk between Motnyk and Lauren Cornell, Artistic Director at the Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College; and a natural dye workshop led by Motnyk and longtime collaborator, Susan Cianciolo. Object & Thing has presented Motnyk’s work in group exhibitions since 2021 and she joined the roster of artists in 2022.
Kiva Motnyk: Object & Thing at Troutbeck is on view in the Gallery from September 27th, 2025 – November 30th, 2025
About Kiva Motnyk
Kiva Motnyk (b.1977) lives and works between New York City and the Catskills region of Upstate New York. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, Motnyk worked in the fashion industry before pivoting to her art textiles practice. In addition to Object & Thing, Motnyk’s work has been included in group exhibitions with Bridget Donahue, Egg Collective and Ralph Pucci. In 2014, Motnyk founded Thompson Street Studio, which brings together her interests in both art and commerce through a robust production of fabric-based functional works. She has also collaborated with Susan Cianciolo in the design collective
Run Home, which was part of the Performa 19 Biennial. Motnyk was an artist participant in Look Alive at Guild Hall (East Hampton, New York) in 2024.
About Object & Thing
Founded by Abby Bangser in 2019, Object & Thing presents object-based work existing at the intersection between art and design. Object & Thing began as a reimagined art and design fair and has since evolved into an itinerant, collaborative exhibition program focused on site-specific and intimate exhibitions of objects and artworks, within iconic 20th century artists’ and architects’ homes, including Robert Dash (Sagaponack, NY), Jack Lenor Larsen (East Hampton, NY), Gerald Luss (Ossining, NY), Eliot Noyes (New Canaan, CT) and James Rose (Ridgewood, NJ). Artists represented by Object & Thing include Megumi Shauna Arai, F Taylor Colantonio, Jim McDowell, Kiva Motnyk, Johnny Ortiz-Concha, Frances Palmer and Heath Wagoner.
Past Shows at Troutbeck
The Gallery
Inhabitants of Troutbeck through the centuries have celebrated music, literature and the visual arts. We carry forward that tradition in all respects. The Gallery, at the heart of our visual arts programming, is a serene space available to guests for contemplative viewing of remarkable artwork. Generally, additional works are hung throughout the Manor House, as with any great residence.
Past exhibitions at Troutbeck include the work of Winfred Rembert, Carroll Dunham, Jeannette Montgomery Barron, and outsider artist Vera Girivi.