“Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” Final Exhibition on S Street Showcases Four Contemporary Artists

01/15/2013 — tmpressroom
Verna Bogren Swift Garden of Earthquakes

Vernal Bogren Swift, A Garden of Earthquakes (detail), 2007–08. Collection of the artist.

The final exhibition at The Textile Museum before its 2014 reopening will showcase the textile traditions of Southeast Asia and demonstrate how four contemporary artists integrate the best of the past into new works. “Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains,” (April 12 through October 13, 2013), features the work of Carol Cassidy, the husband-wife team Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam, and Vernal Bogren Swift. The exhibition centers on Indonesia and Laos, but takes up a question faced by nations around the world: How can long-inherited art forms be carried forward in meaningful ways by future generations? By pairing recent artworks with 16 treasures from the museum’s collections, “Out of Southeast Asia” asserts the beauty of these traditional textiles and demonstrates how contemporary makers help to preserve these art forms even as they interpret them in new and innovative ways.

“Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” is the final exhibition The Textile Museum will present in its historic S Street buildings as it prepares to reopen in 2014 as a cornerstone of the forthcoming George Washington University Museum. Beginning October 14, 2013, The Textile Museum Shop will be open Fridays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., through December 31, 2013. Programs and special events will be offered throughout the transition; visit the museum’s calendar online for the most up-to-date schedule.

As The Textile Museum prepares to move to its new location, “Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” provides a fitting visual link between the past, present and future while demonstrating the continued relevance of traditional textiles. In addition to precious examples of handmade batik from Indonesia, the ethnic weaving of northeast Laos presents exotic new forms rarely seen in this country. “Out of Southeast Asia” extols how these textiles—both familiar and not—inspire today’s creations.

Carol Cassidy

“Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” includes six hangings, scarves and upscale upholstery by artist Carol Cassidy. While her works employ traditional Lao motifs, Cassidy often increases their scale and uses a simple color palette, resulting in panels with a distinctly contemporary feel. The artist first visited Laos in 1989, while serving as an advisor to a United Nations weaving project. While there, Cassidy chose to stay and establish her own weaving enterprise with the mission to preserve local skills and techniques. In the following 20 years, Cassidy’s studio has grown into a professional, large-scale commercial business, while staying true to the designs and idiosyncrasies that define Laos’s weaving. Lao Textiles, the enterprise Cassidy established in Vientiane in 1990, was awarded the Product Excellence Award by UNESCO in 2001. In 2002, Cassidy received the Preservation of Craft award from Aid to Artisans. Today, Cassidy’s studio produces artistic textiles and upscale upholstery used by designers in Paris, London and New York, and the success of her enterprise has resulted in a resurgence of local weaving.

Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam, Father Sky Mother Earth

Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam, Father Sky Mother Earth (Bapak Langit Ibu Bumi) (Back), 2005. On loan from Margrit Benton and Mark Nelson.

Nia Fliam and Agus Ismoyo

Artists Nia Fliam and Agus Ismoyo are primarily interested in Indonesian batik (wax-resist patterned cloth). Seen on countless beach wraps and home-décor items today, batik was perfected in the courts of Java, where certain motifs were considered powerful in both political and spiritual terms. In 2009, UNESCO added batik to its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Today, commercial batik production is mechanized, leaving it to artists such as the Ismoyos to perpetuate the spirit of this centuries-old art. As demonstrated in the seven complex, colorful silk hangings on view in “Out of Southeast Asia,” Fliam and Ismoyo employ batik’s motifs and techniques in entirely new ways. Their effort to bring traditional imagery into the 21st century also extends past Indonesia—the artists frequently speak of an interest in finding “the DNA of our world culture” through exploring commonalities between ancient art forms. Following this interest, the artists have partnered with indigenous communities around the world, and the exhibition includes a collaboration with aboriginal Australian artists. “Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” also includes the sculpture “Tree of Life VIII (Pohon Hayati VIII),” a 3D tribute to a design used by cultures around the world.


Vernal Bogren Swift

“Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” is the Washington, D.C. debut for Vernal Bogren Swift. The finest Indonesian batiks employ patterns—both bold and minute—across the entire surface. Swift integrates this aesthetic into her storybook-like illustrations of myths, legends and old wives tales—drawn from her extensive travels and the strong oral history tradition present on Haida Gwaii (British Columbia, Canada), where she currently lives. Originally from Kansas, Swift taught herself batik more than 40 years ago. Intrigued by the medium’s emphasis on small patterns, Swift traveled to Indonesia to learn traditional batik. Recently, she has developed means to use more natural dyes (such as pomegranate) in her practice. The works on view in “Out of Southeast Asia” are typical of Swift’s style, which pushes batik patterning into new applications. The three large triptychs on view take up magical subjects: “Early Lessons and Lies,” “A Garden of Earthquakes” and “Moons under Sea.”

About the Exhibition

“Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains” is curated by Dr. Mattiebelle Gittinger, one of the foremost researchers and scholars in the field of Southeast Asian textiles. Gittinger received her PhD from Columbia University in 1972. Since the 1970s, she has conducted extensive fieldwork across Southeast Asia, India, Myanmar (Burma), Europe and the Middle East. During her 38 years at The Textile Museum, Gittinger has organized several important exhibitions, each accompanied by a highly-regarded catalog. “Out of Southeast Asia: Art that Sustains” is made possible in part through grants from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation and the Asian Cultural Council. 

About The Textile Museum

The Textile Museum expands public knowledge and appreciation—locally, nationally and internationally—of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. Founded in 1925 by George Hewitt Myers, The Textile Museum is an international center for the exhibition, study, collection and preservation of the textile arts. The Textile Museum collection encompasses more than 19,000 objects that date from 3,000 BCE to the present. The museum’s 20,000 volume Arthur D. Jenkins Library of Textile Arts is among the world’s foremost resources for the study of textiles. The Textile Museum is located at 2320 ‘S’ Street, NW in Washington, D.C. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. through October 13, 2013. An $8 suggested admission is requested of non-members. In the fall of 2014, The Textile Museum will reopen as a primary cornerstone of the forthcoming George Washington University Museum (G and 21st Streets NW). For more information, visit www.gwu.edu/textilemuseum or http://textilemuseum.org/tmatgw/.

Please Note: Beginning October 14, 2013, The Textile Museum will not have an exhibition on view. The Textile Museum Shop will remain open Fridays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from October 14 through December 31, 2013. The Textile Museum will offer a variety of special events and programs throughout the transition in 2013 and 2014. Visit http://www.textilemuseum.org/calendar/ for the most up-to-date list of events.

PRESS PREVIEW: Wednesday, April 10, 9:30 a.m. Join us for a curator-led tour of the exhibition and the opportunity to learn more about The Textile Museum’s move in 2014. RSVP to kclune@textilemuseum.org.

IMAGES: Preview high-resolution images (PDF). To request print-ready files, email info@textilemuseum.org.

DOWNLOAD A PRESS RELEASE

Posted in Education, Exhibits, Press Releases, Uncategorized. Leave a Comment »

Document Dupont and Celebrate Textiles in June at the Free Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend

03/29/2012 — tmpressroom

Family members try out one of the looms at The Textile Museum Celebration of Textiles during the 2011 DKMC Museum Walk Weekend

Washingtonians and visitors to our nation’s capital are invited to discover and document the city’s exciting Dupont Circle-Kalorama neighborhood on the first weekend in June.  Nine diverse museums of the Dupont Kalorama Museums Consortium will be opening their doors to the public free of charge during the 29th Annual Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend (Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3, 2012). This year’s theme, “Documenting Dupont,” encourages visitors to capture the many little details that make one of Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful neighborhoods unique, including its many museums.

While documenting the exteriors, step into the interiors to discover the Anderson House, Dumbarton House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, National Geographic Museum (new for 2012), National Museum of American Jewish Military History,The Phillips Collection, The Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House , all open free of charge June 2 and 3, 2012. Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend is an opportunity for locals to “travel in their own neighborhood,” and for visitors to explore DC’s “off-the-Mall” museums.  

During the walk weekend, The Textile Museum will be putting on its annual Celebration of Textiles, as well as hosting three exciting exhibitions: “Dragons, Nagas, and Creatures of the Deep,” “Sourcing the Museum,” and “Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop.”

A  wide variety of exhibitions are also featured, such as Anderson House’s “The American Revolution at Sea.”  New on the 2012 Museum Walk is the addition of the National Geographic Museum, hosting three exhibitions, including “Titanic: 100 Year Obsession.” Many sites are offering special programming, including The Phillips Collections’ Jazz ‘n Families Fun Day event, the Woodrow Wilson House’s Electric Car Rally, the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site’s panel discussion, musical performances, and book lecture, and the National Museum of American Jewish Military History’s Family Stories (see the full release for additional exhibition and programming details).

Museums will be partnering with local restaurants and businesses to offer specials and discounts to Walk Weekend participants throughout the neighborhood. A “Documenting Dupont” photo contest celebrating these neighborhood museums is being organized by Washington City Paper. Stay tuned to City Paper Events for more details about entry and prizes.

The 29th Annual Museum Walk Weekend media sponsor is Washington City Paper, and FotoDC is onboard as a promotional sponsor.  Museum Walk Weekend is supported by Cultural Tourism DC.

Download the full release as a PDF.

View a list of all DKMC member organizations and their exhibitions.

For more information or images, visit www.dkmuseums.com or contact Katy Clune at kclune@textilemuseum.org

Posted in Concerts and Special Events, Education, Free, Press Releases. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

“Sourcing the Museum” and “Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop” Open March 23

03/07/2012 — tmpressroom

Preview the exhibitions at the press tour: March 22, 9:15 a.m. RSVP essential: kclune@textilemuseum.org.

Riis---Congressonal-Constraint_Front

Jon Eric Riis, Congressional Constraint Tapestry, 2012. Lent by the artist. Photo by Tom Abraham.

Two new exhibitions open at The Textile Museum on March 23: “Sourcing the Museum” (on view through August 19, 2012) and “Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop” (on view through August 12, 2012). “Sourcing the Museum” showcases contemporary textile art made in response to the museum’s expansive collection and “Woven Treasures” gives insight into Japan’s court culture through exploring the history of one family-run silk workshop.

“Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop” and several supporting programs are part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The Textile Museum is also a participating site for the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities “5×5” public art initiative, debuting with the launch of the National Cherry Blossom Festival on March 20. Natural Wishing by Chrysanne Stathacos will be installed in The Textile Museum’s garden. This interactive artwork enables participants to connect with “wishing actions” from around the world through tying a wish to a tree.

About “Woven Treasures of Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop”

Japan’s Tawaraya Workshop has produced exquisite silks for more than 500 years for uses which include Imperial garments and Noh theater costumes. A selection of these precious textiles and kimono will be featured in “Woven Treasures.” This exhibition was organized with the help of Hyoji Kitagawa, the 18th-generation head of the workshop, who was recently designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government.

“Woven Treasures” includes 37 pieces on loan from the Tawaraya workshop, including lengths of fabric and completed costumes. This is first time these silks will be exhibited in the United States and English-language research and study of these textiles has been scant. Four uchigi (colorful robes worn underneath formal outer garments) will be displayed, in addition to a kosode robe used in Noh theater. The untailored textiles include silks commissioned for the Imperial Household and the Ise Grand Shrine. The historical basis and aesthetics of each design offer greater understanding Japanese court tradition and culture.

Press Release | High-resolution images

About “Sourcing the Museum”

The Textile Museum is home to an extraordinary collection of historic textiles.  For the exhibition “Sourcing the Museum” these pieces provided inspiration for eleven fiber artists to create new works, which will be on view at The Textile Museum from March 23 through August 19, 2012.

Invited to participate by world-renowned weaver and scholar Jack Lenor Larsen, the chosen artists are diverse in background, preferred technique, and aesthetic, but all at the height of their careers. Larsen encouraged the participants to move beyond their preferred materials and techniques, and the result is an incredible diversity of new textile arts—from a dense photographic tapestry, to a diaphanous silk hanging, to a political straitjacket. These and all of the new works will be displayed alongside the historic pieces that inspired them, underscoring the connection between past and the present.

“Sourcing the Museum” includes works by the following artists: Olga de Amaral (Bogota, Colombia), James Bassler (Palm Springs, CA), Polly Barton (Santa Fe, NM), Archie Brennan (New Baltimore, NY), Lia Cook (Berkeley, CA), Helena Hernmarck (Ridgefield, CT), Ayako Nikamoto (Chigasaki, Japan), Jon Eric Riis (Atlanta, GA), Warren Seelig (Rockland, ME), Kay Sekimachi (Berkeley, CA), and Ethel Stein (Croton-on-Hudson, NY).

Press Release | High-resolution images

To download a press release, click here.

For more information or images, please contact Katy Clune at (202) 667-0441, ext. 77, or by e-mail at kclune@textilemuseum.org.

Posted in Education, Exhibits, Press Releases, Public Programs. Leave a Comment »

The Textile Museum Joins The George Washington University

07/27/2011 — tmpressroom

Increased exhibition space and engagement with the GW academic community ensure a bright future

The Textile Museum and the George Washington University today announced an affiliation whereby The Textile Museum will move to the George Washington University’s Foggy Bottom campus to become a cornerstone of a new museum scheduled to open in mid-2014.

Exhibitions and programs will be presented to the public in a custom-built, approximately 35,000 square foot museum building located at G and 21st Streets, bearing the names of both The Textile Museum and the George Washington University Museum. The new museum will include dedicated galleries for The Textile Museum, with increased exhibition space compared to its present facilities. Until the new museum opens, The Textile Museum will continue operating at its current location.
In addition to the new museum, the university today announced that it will construct a 20,000 square foot conservation and resource center on its Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Loudoun County, Va., for the study and care of The Textile Museum and the university’s collections. This center will include storage facilities, a conservation laboratory, and facilities for access to the collection.

The affiliation with the university will allow The Textile Museum to expand its rich tradition of scholarship, education, and fostering cultural understanding as it broadly integrates its activities into the far-reaching GW academic community.

“The collaboration between the world-renowned Textile Museum and the George Washington University will create unparalleled opportunities for students, researchers and scholars as well as for the general public,” said GW President Steven Knapp.

The affiliation with GW comes at a time of stability and success at The Textile Museum. Recent achievements include the never-before-seen collection of Central Asian ikat textiles in the
exhibition and publication: “Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats.” This exhibition will soon travel to the Seattle Art Museum and Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Other achievements include the engagement of a new, younger audience with the popular PM@ The TM after hours program and an increase in collaborations with the Washington-based diplomatic community to further cultural understanding through textile arts. The Textile Museum has accomplished these impressive initiatives while maintaining a balanced budget through a difficult economic period.

“Perhaps the single-most important development for the museum since it opened its doors in 1925, this relationship ensures The Textile Museum’s exciting future with increased access to its superb collection, enhanced scholarly activities, and continued focus on public programs, education, and exhibitions,” said Bruce P. Baganz, president of the board of trustees of The
Textile Museum. “This affiliation further enhances the museum’s role as the leader in the key challenge of cultivating successive generations of those who appreciate textiles as art. Moreover, collaboration with the GW community strengthens our physical presence, and in conjunction with GW resources, can lead to fulfillment of the aspiration to be a ‘global information switchboard,’ an endeavor that has applications far beyond the museum itself.”

On the crucial importance of continued financial support, Dr. Baganz said, “There are wideranging interest groups who are passionate about The Textile Museum. It is imperative that all
continue to support the museum’s activities so that it can continue its distinguished tradition of art, scholarship, publications and educational programs. This ensures the ability to meet the worthy goal of providing every visitor with a unique, personally relevant and memorable
experience.”

In this unprecedented arrangement between a university museum and an existing art museum, The Textile Museum will continue management of its internationally acclaimed collection of more than 18,000 objects, which will be on perpetual loan to the university. The agreement, pending final approval by both Boards of Trustees, also specifies that Textile Museum staff will continue to develop exhibitions and programs that align with the current mission, which will remain the same after moving to the new location.
“This is a truly unique collaboration,” said Ford W. Bell, President of the American Association of Museums. “By combining resources, these institutions increase their reach and impact while The Textile Museum maintains the reputation and identity it has established over the last eight decades. It is a tribute to the present vigor and future promise of The Textile Museum that two organizations of this international caliber were able to maximize their respective strengths.”

The new George Washington University Museum also will include the recently announced Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection and Center for National Capital Area Studies, additional galleries and space for academic and scholarly activity, public lectures and other forums, all of which will be integrated into a wide range of academic studies.

About the George Washington University
In the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an act of Congress in 1821. Today, George Washington is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, it enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.
The new George Washington University Museum will foster the study and appreciation of art, history, and culture, both within the university and throughout the global community, through its affiliation with The Textile Museum and through its university collections, including the Albert H. Small Washingtoniana Collection.

About The Textile Museum
The Textile Museum expands public knowledge and appreciation – locally, nationally, and internationally – of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. Founded in 1925 by George Hewitt Myers, The Textile Museum is an international center for the exhibition, study, collection and preservation of the textile arts. The Textile Museum collection encompasses more than 18,000 objects that date from 3,000 BCE to the present, including some of the world’s finest examples of rugs and textiles from the Near East, Central Asia, East and Southeast Asia, Africa, and the indigenous cultures of the Americas. Included in the collection are extraordinary holdings of the Islamic world and pre-Columbian textiles. The museum’s 20,000 volume Arthur D. Jenkins Library of Textile Arts is among the world’s foremost resources for the study of textiles.

To download a PDF of the press release, click here.

To access a fact sheet, quotes, video, high resolution photos and more, click here.

For more information, contact Katy Clune, communications and marketing manager, The Textile Museum at (202) 667-0441, ext. 77/kclune@textilemuseum.org or Candace Smith, executive director, media relations, The George Washington University at (202) 994-3566/cesmith@gwu.edu or visit http://www.gwu.edu/textilemuseum.

Posted in Education, Press Releases. 2 Comments »

Museum-School Partnership Participants Announced

02/24/2011 — tmpressroom
Museum School Partnership

A banner created by students participating in the 2010 Museum-School Partnership is displayed at The Textile Museum during the month of June. Photo by Kevin Allen.

The Textile Museum is pleased to announce the participants of the 2011 Museum-School Partnership. The following teachers and their classes were selected from a competitive application process that was open to all District of Columbia Public and Public Charter Schools:

Sarah Burke
Marla McLean
Margaret Ricks
John Burst
School-Within-School at Peabody
Kindergarten

Ellen Saunders
Thomson Elementary School
Grades 3 & 4

Michelle D. Parker
LaSalle-Backus Educational Campus
Grade 6

The Museum-School partnership is a three-month-long collaboration between The Textile Museum and the selected schools as they explore a key theme of recycling and reusing textiles and other materials in conjunction with the exhibit Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles. Each of the selected classes will tour Second Lives at the museum and will be visited by a museum docent at their classrooms for a three-date series of engaging and ongoing classroom art activities. In addition, each of the schools will receive art materials to create a banner inspired by the theme of recycling that will be exhibited at The Textile Museum during the month of June. Participating schools will be recognized and their banner presented at The Textile Museum’s annual Celebration of Textiles on June 4, at 12:30 pm.

To receive information about other upcoming programs for schools at The Textile Museum, sign up for the Educators’ E-Newsletter.

To receive general updates about exhibitions and all programs at the museum, sign up for The Textile Museum’s monthly E-Friends Newsletter.

If you have any questions or would like any additional details about this news item or any other news item, please e-mail info@textilemuseum.org.

Posted in Education, Press Releases. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Central Asian Family Festival on Feb. 12

01/21/2011 — tmpressroom

Kids explore ikat-dyeing in the Textile Learning Center

Enjoy a family-friendly festival featuring Central Asian music and food as well as hands-on art and textile activities on Saturday, February 12, 12-4 p.m. Visitors can:

  • Take part in Central Asian dance with the Silk Road Dance Company, including a huge dancing dragon inspired by Uzbek legends
  • Add Central Asian flare to their outfit by creating a kalpak—or high-crowned hat—and wearing it throughout the festival
  • Weave their own ikat textile on a pre-warped loom, making an original fabric to take home
  • Explore the exhibition Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats with a family guide
  • Enjoy tea and refreshments

All activities and demonstrations are free and no reservations are required!

Posted in Education, Free, HelloTxt, Public Programs. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Channel 5 Fox News Visits Ikat Exhibition

11/23/2010 — tmpressroom
Paul Raphel at The Textile Museum

Paul Raphel at The Textile Museum

For those of you who missed the airing last Friday, November 19, click here to see The TM featured on the “Weekend Events with Paul Raphel” morning show segment on Channel 5 Fox News. Paul and the Fox 5 team stopped by the galleries for a tour of Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats and learned more about the Saturday, November 20 Arts for Famililies program “Weave Your Own Ikat.” Using hand-looms, children could see the ikat-making process for themselves and take home their own swatch of ikat fabric.

Look forward to the next Arts for Families program – “Children’s Tea Party & Storytelling” on December 18, featuring tea, stories and the chance to try on clothes from Turkmenistan.

Posted in Education, Free, HelloTxt, Public Programs. Leave a Comment »

Striking 19th-Century Ikat Fabrics Unveiled in Upcoming Textile Museum Exhibition

07/13/2010 — tmpressroom

The luscious colors and bold patterns of ikat, a textile woven from pre-dyed thread, have earned these fabrics international recognition as the latest trend in fashion and interior design. Visitors to Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, opening at The Textile Museum on October 16, 2010, will discover why the craft of ikat has been considered a cultural treasure in Uzbekistan for over two centuries.  The exhibition will showcase a selection of 19th-century ikat garments and textiles from the Museum’s Megalli Collection in engaging, off-the-wall installations that situate ikat production, use and aesthetic significance to Central Asian culture within a socio-historic context.  The exhibition also heralds the recent revival of this art form in Uzbekistan after near extinction during the Soviet era, coinciding with the global popularity of this aesthetic through popular design houses such as Oscar de la Renta, J. Crew, and Pottery Barn.  The more than 60 garments and other textiles in the exhibition have never been exhibited before.  The exhibition will be accompanied by a full-color comprehensive book, published by The Textile Museum, which will present new scholarship and illustrate the collection in its entirety.

Ikat robe
Robe
Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Bukhara
1870s-1880s
The Textile Museum 2005.36.30
The Megalli Collection

About the Exhibition

Unlike a majority of textiles that are woven with solid-colored thread or are printed or dyed after weaving, ikat is produced using the reverse process.  Individual threads are first dyed with several colors that, when woven together, produce the energetic patterns unique to this textile tradition.  Successful application of this complex technique requires extensive forethought and teamwork between various craftsmen and the designer.  For this reason, ikat has been celebrated in Central Asia as one of the region’s great arts.  In the 19th century, when costume indicated an individual’s social rank, wealth, domestic role, tribal affiliation and geographic origin, ikat was considered the most prestigious material to wear.  Alarmingly, however, this art form was nearly lost during the Soviet era.

Oscar De La Renta Spring 2005

Oscar De La Renta Spring 2005. Photographer Fernanda Calfat. 51299358 (RM) Getty Images.

Fortunately, 19 years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan’s ikat industry is currently under renewal by artists using the traditional technique.  Ikat continues to gain international recognition with recent trends in fashion and home décor motivated by designers who are inspired by the textile’s bold motifs.

Robe, Central Asia, Uzbekistan, Bukhara, Late 19th to early 20th century, The Textile Museum 2005.36.31, The Megalli Collection

With an appreciation for the textile’s increasing global popularity, Colors of the Oasis will trace the historic development of ikat production and its contemporary revival.  The pieces featured in the exhibition were selected from The Textile Museum’s Megalli collection, a diverse array of 19th-century ikat robes, pants, dresses, bohce (wrapping cloth), hangings, fragments and cradle covers donated to the institution by collector Murad Megalli in 2005 and 2009.  The exhibition is divided into three sections that guide the visitor through ikat design and artistic principles, the stories of the people who used them and how, and the technical aspect of ikat making and the people involved in this craft.  Innovative off-the-wall installations, including a setting inspired by a 19th-century Uzbek interior, life-like displays using dress forms and historic photographs, situate the collection within a socio-historic context and encourage the visitor to appreciate the textile’s versatility and significance to Central Asian culture.  Models demonstrating the dyeing process constructed by MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) students provide insight into how these fabrics are made.  Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats is curated by Sumru Belger Krody, Curator of Eastern Hemisphere Collections at The Textile Museum.

The accompanying book, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, will be the first significant publication on Central Asian ikats produced in the U.S. in over a decade.  The book, edited by Krody, will introduce the latest research on ikat aesthetics and costume history with a concise narrative of ikat production in Central Asia by contributing authors Feza Çakmut, Mary M. Dusenbury, Kate Fitz Gibbon, Andrew Hale, Sumru Belger Krody, Sayera Makhkamova and Susan Meller.  The book is beautifully illustrated with high quality images and historic prints, including a detailed catalog of the entire 160-piece Megalli Collection.

Related Programs

The Textile Museum plans to inaugurate Colors of the Oasis with a weekend symposium, Tying the Rainbow: Reexamining Central Asian Ikats from Friday, October 15 – Sunday, October 17.  The distinct collection will be unveiled with an evening reception for Textile Museum members on October 15.  A day-long lecture series on October 16 will include presentations on ikat’s production history, socio-cultural importance in Central Asia and the textile’s influence on contemporary global fashion.  Speakers will include Dr. Anne Bissonnette, Associate Professor and Curator of the Clothing and Textiles Collection at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada; Mary M. Dusenbury, Research Curator at the Spencer Museum of Art, Lawrence, Kansas; Andrew Hale, scholar and Colors of the Oasis catalog contributor, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Dr. Jeff Sahadeo, Director of the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; Dr. Elena Tsareva, Head of Textile Research at the Kunstkamera Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Philippa Watkins, Senior Tutor in Constructed Textiles at the Royal College of Art, London, UK.  The symposium will conclude on October 17 with a curator’s tour of the exhibition and a show-and-tell of Central Asian ikats from registrants’ collections.  For more details or to register, visit www.textilemuseum.org/symposium.htm or call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64.

While Colors of the Oasis is on view, The Textile Museum will also host a number of exhibition-related events, including demonstrations, interactive family programs, performances, gallery talks, lectures and the popular after-hours “PM @ The TM” series.  For updates or more information on Textile Museum programs, visit www.textilemuseum.org or call (202) 667-0441.  

About the Curator

Sumru Belger Krody, curator of Eastern Hemisphere Collections at The Textile Museum, is considered the leading authority on Ottoman Turkish and Greek embroidery.  She has been with The Textile Museum for over 15 years and has served as head of the Eastern Hemisphere curatorial department since 2001.  Krody’s previous exhibitions include Flowers of Silk & Gold: Four Centuries of Ottoman Embroidery (2004-5); Floral Perspectives in Carpet Design (2006); Harpies, Mermaids and Tulips: Embroidery of the Greek Islands and Epirus Region (2006); and Ahead of His Time: The Collecting Vision of George Hewitt Myers (2007-8).  Krody has previously authored two exhibition catalogs, Harpies, Mermaids, and Tulips (2006) and Flowers of Silk and Gold: Four Centuries of Ottoman Embroidery (2000).  Krody also serves on the board of the Textile Society of America.

To request images for press use, click here.

To download the press release in PDF format, click here.

To download a complete press kit, click here.

Posted in Education, Exhibits, Press Releases, Public Programs. Leave a Comment »

The Textile Museum to Kick Off Summer with Annual Two-Day Festival

05/12/2010 — tmpressroom

Celebration of TextilesThe Textile Museum will hold its 32nd annual Celebration of Textiles on Saturday, June 5, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. and Sunday, June 6, 1-5 p.m. This free festival for all ages, held rain or shine, invites visitors to explore the textile arts and cultures of the world through hands-on activities and artist demonstrations in the museum’s gardens, historic buildings and current exhibitions.

Program highlights for this year’s Celebration of Textiles festival include:

  • Live musical performances by acoustic roots duo Herb & Hanson (Sat., 2-4 p.m. and Sunday, 3-5 p.m.) who have performed at the Kennedy Center and Strathmore Hall, among other Mid-Atlantic venues
  • Hands-on activities, including block printing and bracelet making
  • Spinning, weaving, knitting, embroidery and indigo dyeing demonstrations
  • Delicious Indian food from Fojol Bros. of Merlindia (available for purchase)
  • Drawings for gift certificates to Teaism, Restaurant Nora, Kramerbooks and other Dupont Circle area businesses
  • Live sheep-shearing demonstrations

Please note: Activities and demonstrations vary on Saturday and Sunday. For full program details, visit www.textilemuseum.org. ALL ACTIVITIES ARE FREE.

Celebrating Local Students’ Art

On Saturday from 12:30-1 p.m. a ceremony will be held recognizing the students participating in this year’s Museum-School Partnership: a 1st grade class from Lafayette Elementary School; a 3rd grade class from Horace Mann Elementary School; and a 3rd-5th mixed grade level class from Matthew G. Emery Educational Center. Through this annual program, the museum educates Washington, D.C. students about textiles and the cultures that produce them, and works with students in the creation and display of their own textile artwork. Their creations will be unveiled on June 5 and will remain on view at The Textile Museum through the month.

Current Exhibitions

Visitors can explore the colorful and whimsical textile designs of three groundbreaking women in the exhibit Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain, on view May 15-September 12, 2010. Also on view is the complementary exhibit The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings from the Permanent Collection, featuring furnishing fabrics from cultures around the world.

History of Celebration of Textiles

The Celebration of Textiles festival started with the goal of inviting people to come in casually and learn about the techniques and cultures represented in the museum’s exhibitions, drawing in new audiences and offering an opportunity for people of all ages to explore the wonder and variety of textile art. While The Textile Museum now provides a variety of opportunities for children to learn about textiles year-round through school programs and the hands-on Activity Gallery of The Textile Learning Center, the spirit of Celebration of Textiles has remained constant. It aims to build a greater appreciation of the textile arts through intergenerational activities that can be enjoyed by children, parents, grandparents and friends alike.

Celebration of Textiles is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. The festival is part of the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium’s Museum Walk Weekend. For more information about Walk Weekend, visit www.dkmuseums.com.

###

Posted in Concerts and Special Events, Education, Exhibits, Free, HelloTxt, Press Releases, Public Programs, Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

The Textile Museum to participate in 27th annual Museum Walk Weekend

04/02/2010 — tmpressroom

The Textile Museum, part of the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium (DKMC), is pleased to announce its participation in the 27th Annual Museum Walk Weekend, showcasing the art, history, and culture of two historic Washington, D.C. neighborhoods this summer. Anderson House, Dumbarton House, Fondo del Sol Visual Arts Center, General Federation of Women’s Clubs, Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site, Meridian International Center, National Museum of American Jewish Military History, The Phillips Collection, The Textile Museum, and the Woodrow Wilson House will open their doors free of charge for this weekend-long celebration and chance to stretch your legs and your mind.
Museum Walk Weekend offers a variety of free activities for all ages. This year’s highlights include special museum exhibitions (covering everything from mid-century art and design to a president’s beloved walking sticks), DC Jazz Festival’s Jazz ‘n’ Families Fun Days at The Phillips Collection, popular food vendors, and a photo contest celebrating these neighborhood museums organized by Washington City Paper. Stay tuned to City Paper Events for more details about entry and prizes.
For the second year in a row, DKMC is also teaming up with the Washington Area Bicyclists Association to make Walk Weekend bicyclist friendly by providing a safe bike route and leading rides between sites.
An information table for the public, providing schedules and maps, will be situated at Dupont Circle on Saturday, June 5 and at the Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market on Sunday, June 6.
The 27th Annual Museum Walk Weekend media sponsor is Washington City Paper. Museum Walk Weekend is supported by Cultural Tourism DC, with additional support provided by the Renaissance Dupont Circle Hotel.
Note: Not all museums will be open both days; event held rain or shine.
For more information or images, visit www.dkmuseums.org or contact Katy Clune at kclune@textilemuseum.org.

To view the press release (PDF), click here.

Posted in Concerts and Special Events, Education, Exhibits, Free, Press Releases, Public Programs. Tags: , , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »
« Older posts
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.