I love this photo by Paula Lerner from the opening pages of Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future. The color and determination of the balloon vendor striding down the bleak streets of Kabul reassures me every time I open the book. That idea of living in possibility came back to me several times […]
05
Jan
Jan
Our friends at ClothRoads post a really nice calendar of global textile events each month. Their most recent calendar featured an intriguing exhibition at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture (FMCAC) in San Francisco, titled Sanctuary. The exhibition, presented by the FOR-SITE Foundation, features 36 contemporary wool prayer rugs handwoven by master weavers […]
22
Sep
Sep
In our ongoing appreciation of museums and galleries around the world that celebrate all things textile, today we land in upper middle America to check in on the Textile Center—A national center for fiber art in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Textile Center has been honoring textile traditions for more than 20 years. It also promotes and encourages innovation […]
15
Aug
Aug
We spend a lot of time thinking about textiles in all their glorious manifestations, but we don’t spend very much time thinking about the tools we use to make them. At least, I don’t. I was reminded of this when I was looking at some of the amazing goodies the Carlos Museum at Emory University […]
02
Jun
Jun
Tomorrow, Thrums Books’ photographer Joe Coca and I are flying to Guatemala where we’ll wend our way to rainy Panajachel. Yes, we’re working on another book! It’s hard to keep track, isn’t it? Morocco, China, the Navajo Nation, Guatemala. We’re covering all the textile bases. For this month’s featured textile museum it seemed fitting, given […]
05
May
May
A Bond between People Written above the entrance to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, are these important words: “The art of the craftsman is a bond between the peoples of the world.” And that’s what the Museum of International Folk Art is all about—connecting people with the arts, traditions, and […]
17
Mar
Mar
For this month’s featured textile museum, we travel to the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, to visit the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts, the only textiles center in the state. I love that a first-rate textile collection lives at a technology institute. Sometimes, technology gets a bad rap, particularly in the realm of […]
20
Jan
Jan
In our ongoing recognition of an institution that works to preserve and celebrate traditional textiles, our hats are tipped this month to the Fowler Museum at the University of California Los Angeles. The Fowler’s mission is to enhance understanding and appreciation of diverse peoples and cultures of the world through its exhibitions and public programs. And it does! Fowler in Focus […]
11
Nov
Nov
The Bridge The Thrums Books virtual gallery and museum tour has traveled around the world over the last year, from Oaxaca to Toronto, from Colorado and Arizona to points beyond. We’ve introduced you (or perhaps just reminded you) of some fabulous textile collections far afield and maybe in your own back yard. This month we’re heading to […]
26
Aug
Aug
Two Hundred Years of Lace Last weekend the knitting needles were clicking in Haapsalu. Each August, for the last five years, the Estonian seaside town of Haapsalu has celebrated Pitsipäev, Lace Day. It’s a charming festival that celebrates the town’s lace knitting heritage. The knitting of delicate lace shawls and scarves has been a significant aspect […]
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