Threads of Freedom: A Mixed Media Flag Collection Honoring America’s 250th Birthday

There is something that happens when you tear something apart with the intention of making it whole again.

It requires trust. It requires vision. And it requires the belief that what comes after the unraveling can be more beautiful — and more meaningful — than what existed before.

That is the heart of my newest collection, Threads of Freedom.

How It Begins

Every piece in this collection starts the same way — with paint.

I begin by creating two full flag compositions, each one its own layered, textured, colorful work. Acrylic paint, collage, stamping, mark-making — all the things I love most about mixed media come together in these painted flags. Each one is vibrant, expressive, and complete on its own.

And then I take them apart.

I deconstruct them by hand and weave them back together — two flags becoming one new, dimensional, layered piece. The result is something that couldn’t have existed any other way. Stronger. Richer. More complex than either flag could have been alone.

It’s time intensive work — layers and texture and drying time, then the deconstruction, then the weaving, then mounting to board, then framing in a shadow box style acrylic frame that lets all that dimension breathe and be seen. These are truly a labor of love. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why Flags. Why Now.

2026 marks 250 years of the United States of America.

I’ll be honest with you — I’m a little vintage. I’m sentimental and nostalgic and deeply proud to be an American. And as I thought about how to honor this milestone as an artist, I kept coming back to one image. Not a perfect, pressed, parade-ready flag. But something layered. Something woven. Something that told the real story.

Because America has never been just one thread.

It has always been people of different backgrounds, stories, lifestyles, beliefs, and experiences — woven together into something stronger than any one of them alone. It has always been about rebuilding, resilience, and the beauty that can come after things are pulled apart and thoughtfully reconnected.

That felt worth painting.

Something Personal

There is also something deeply personal woven into this collection for me.

My grandfather, my father, my stepfather, and my father-in-law all served this country. Their sacrifice — their willingness to give so much so that I could live freely — is not something I take lightly. I think about them often. I think about what they gave and what that cost them and what it quietly gave me.

This collection became, in many ways, a reflection of gratitude.

For the men in my family who served. For the country they believed in enough to fight for. For the freedom I get to live and create inside of every single day.

These pieces carry all of that. Not in a heavy way — but in the way that things you love always leave a mark on what you make.

My Hope For These Pieces

When I imagine someone hanging one of these in their home, I hope it feels meaningful, hopeful, and celebratory.

I hope it serves as a quiet reminder that strength is often found in the weaving together of many stories. That what looks like chaos or deconstruction isn’t the end of the story. That beauty — real, lasting, dimensional beauty — often requires being pulled apart before it can be put back together in a way that holds.

That’s true of flags. It’s true of countries. And if we’re being honest, it’s true of most of the beautiful things in life.

The Collection

Threads of Freedom is a limited collection of original mixed media woven flag paintings, each one completely one of a kind. They are mounted on board and shadow box framed, ready to hang in a home that loves this country and the story it’s still writing.

Collectors on my email list will receive first access to shop before the collection goes public. If you’re not on my list yet, you can join HERE — I’d love for you to be the first to see these in full. 

Stacy Spangler is a mixed media artist based in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Her work is rooted in color, faith, and the belief that every piece of a story — even the broken ones — has a place in something beautiful. Learn more at www.stacyspanglerart.com