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!

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.

Silk Ikat scarves from Uzbekistan ($60)

The Textile Museum Shop is the perfect place to buy one-of-a-kind gifts this holiday season. Shoppers will find a colorful assortment of new ikat items to coincide with the exhibit Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats (on view through March 13, 2011) as well as other unique gift ideas. The shop provides museum visitors with a convenient holiday shopping opportunity and shares special holiday discounts with museum members.

In conjunction with the museum’s newest exhibit, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, visitors will find a variety of related products for sale in the shop that showcase the colorful and dramatic designs created using the specialized ikat dyeing process. Available for purchase are vibrant ikat scarves, handbags, bracelets, men’s ties, books and many beautiful ikat apparel items, such as original Uzbek coats and jackets, hand-painted silk robes and modern printed cotton robes.

From December 3 – 5, the shop offers museum members a 25% discount on all merchandise during “The TM Member VIP Weekend.” This is one of the shop’s most popular annual events, and members may also apply the discount to online purchases made during the VIP Weekend.

Recently named one of the “5 Best Museum Shops” in Washington, D.C. by Frommers.com and one of the 10 “Best U.S. Museum Gift Shops” by Apartment Therapy, The Textile Museum Shop offers a colorful selection of scarves, jewelry, books, fine fabrics and other handmade goods for sale year-round. The shop is always bringing in new items from artists around the globe. There are Peruvian hats, handbags, and scarves made by weavers of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, embellished handbags from Afghanistan, and embroidered suzani textiles from Central Asia.

Proceeds from shop sales support the museum and allow it to continue its mission to expand public knowledge and appreciation – locally, nationally, and internationally – of the artistic merits and cultural importance of the world’s textiles.

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The Textile Museum's 2010 George Hewitt Myers Award honoree Michael Franses

The Textile Museum announced today that Michael Franses, renowned textile publisher and scholar, has been chosen as the 2010 recipient of the museum’s George Hewitt Myers Award, one of the highest accolades in the field of textile arts. The Myers Award, named for The Textile Museum’s founder and given by the Board of Trustees, recognizes Franses’ lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to the field of textile arts. Previous recipients include researcher Mattiebelle Gittinger (2009); scholar Jon Thompson (2008); collector and philanthropist Lloyd Cotsen (2007); the late Josephine Powell, an ethnographer and photographer (2006); and textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen (2005). Franses will be honored with the Myers Award at an event held at the Residence of the Turkish Embassy on Thursday, October 14, 2010.

“Perhaps no one else alive today has accomplished more for the field of Oriental carpets and textiles than Michael Franses,” said Bruce P. Baganz, president of The Textile Museum Board of Trustees. “Through his scholarship, publications and exhibitions, Mr. Franses has demonstrated his commitment to educating a wider audience about the textile arts—an effort closely aligned to the mission of The Textile Museum.”

Upon receiving the award announcement, Michael Franses commented, “In 1967, soon after I started to build my carpet and textile library and photo archive, I became aware of The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. through its Journal and numerous other outstanding publications. I first visited the Textile Museum in 1973 and was immediately smitten. The kind of textiles that [Textile Museum founder] George Hewitt Myers collected, in particular classical Persian, Spanish and Chinese carpets, were in my opinion then, and still remain today, at the aesthetic pinnacle of textile art. The more I study what Myers collected, the more I rank him as probably the greatest collector and connoisseur of historical carpets ever. Even before my first visit to Washington, I had named my business The Textile Gallery, so that I might modestly attempt to follow in his footsteps. Now, at the end of my business career, as I embark upon full-time carpet and textile research in my ‘retirement,’ to be honored with the George Hewitt Myers Award is the greatest recognition I could ever have received.”

About Michael Franses

Michael Franses is the author and publisher of numerous books and periodicals related to the textile arts as well as co-founder of several textile-related organizations. For more than 40 years he has built major private and institutional collections worldwide as a dealer and advisor and organized exhibitions for galleries, museums and private collectors. He currently consults and pursues scholarly writing through new publications.

Born in 1949 in Brighton, England, Michael Franses began his apprenticeship in the field of antique carpets and textiles in 1965, working with his father, who had rejoined the family business, S. Franses (carpets) Ltd. In 1969 Franses and his father left the family firm to form their own partnership, Robert Franses & Son. Three years later, Michael Franses became managing director of a new company in London, The Textile Gallery. In this position Franses acquired numerous important historical carpets and textiles and began to arrange exhibitions for museums and private collections.

In the early1970s, Franses formed a textile conservation studio in London employing nine conservators, looking after historical carpets and textiles in many important private and museum collections. In 1975, he co-founded the International Conference on Oriental Carpets, jointly organizing the first conference in London in 1976. That same year he co-founded Hali, The International Journal of Oriental Carpets and Textiles, was the publisher, co-editor and principal shareholder until 1986. He has since remained a consultant editor and regular contributor. In 1993 he established Textile & Art Publications to continue the dissemination of new research on textiles and other art forms.

Franses owned The Textile Gallery in London from 1971-2007, exhibiting at major art fairs all over the world and mounting numerous special exhibitions. He closed his gallery three years ago and the following year closed his publishing company and became board chairman of Hali Publications Ltd. His intention is to devote his autumn years to study and to putting his extensive archives in order and making these widely available. He is currently working on a catalogue raisonné covering the early history of Chinese woven silk, from the Warring States to Northern Dynasties periods (475 BC—AD 580) and collaborating with scholar Elena Tsareva on The Birth of a Rug, a book charting the history of carpets before 1400. He is also assembling a catalogue raisonné of East Mediterranean carpets. He is working as editor of two volumes on the Khalili collection of Islamic carpets and textiles, and as editor and principal author of a publication of carpets in the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar.

Recently, in 2009, he was awarded the Joseph V. McMullan Award, presented by the Near Eastern Art Research Center, for his stewardship and scholarship of Islamic rugs and textiles. Franses currently resides in Somerset and London with his wife, Jacqueline.

Turkish Embassy Residence in Washington, D.C., photo courtesy M.V. Jantzen

About The Turkish Embassy Residence

The Turkish Embassy Residence is one of Washington, D.C.’s most important historic buildings. Designed by well-known architect George Oakley Totten, Jr. and completed in 1914, the Mansion was commissioned by Edward H. Everett, a wealthy industrialist from Cleveland, Ohio best known for inventing the corrugated metal tops for soft-drink bottles. Architect George Oakley Totten, Jr. had a longstanding relationship with Turkey before the future Residence was built. He previously worked in Istanbul, where he designed the first American Chancery and a Residence for Izzet Pasha, the Grand Vezir, Prime Minister of the Empire. His work was so well received that he was offered the position of “Private Architect to the Sultan.”

Totten blended three architectural periods in his design for the mansion: 16th-century Italian, 18th-century Romanesque and 19th-century Art Deco, with distinct features from decorative Ottoman styles. During the 1920s, the House because famous for festive musical evenings with singers from New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Everett continued to reside in the mansion until his death in 1929. In 1932, Everett’s widow, Grace Burnap, leased the House to the Turkish Embassy and it was used both as Chancery and Residence. In 1936, at the behest of Turkey’s first President, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the House was purchased with all its contents. In the 1990s, the Chancery moved to Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue and the Mansion became the Residence of the Ambassadors of Turkey. The Residence was closed in 2004 for a nearly three-year renovation effort, during which all contents were painstakingly restored.

About The Textile Museum

Established in 1925 by collector George Hewitt Myers, The Textile Museum is dedicated to expanding public awareness and appreciation – locally, nationally and internationally – of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. The museum presents changing exhibitions of historical textiles from its 18,000-piece collection and other holdings as well as contemporary fiber art, complemented by a range of public programs for all ages.

The Textile Museum is located at 2320 S Street, NW, in Washington, D.C.’s Embassy Row, and housed in two historic buildings: the founder’s family home – designed in 1913 by John Russell Pope – and an adjacent building designed in 1908. These former residences provide a warm, intimate setting for the museum’s galleries, research library, shop and program spaces. The museum also boasts lovely gardens designed by Rose Greely, Washington’s first licensed female architect. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. The suggested donation for admission is $5 for non-members. For more information, visit www.textilemuseum.org or call (202) 667-0441.

Media Contact: Cyndi Bohlin, Director of Communications and Marketing, (202) 667-0441, ext. 78 or cbohlin@textilemuseum.org.

This ikat is one from the collection donated to The Textile Museum by collector Murad Megalli (TM 2005.36.27, The Megalli Collection)

The Textile Museum announced today that collector Murad Megalli will be honored this fall with the museum’s Award of Distinction. The award recognizes an individual’s distinguished service in fulfillment of the museum’s mission to expand public awareness and appreciation—locally, nationally and internationally—of the artistic merits and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. Previous recipients include longtime museum supporters Harold M. Keshishian, Alice Dodge Wallace and Edwin M. Zimmerman, all three of whom were recognized in 2007. Megalli will be honored with the Award of Distinction at an event held at the Residence of the Turkish Embassy on Thursday, October 14, 2010.

Megalli has had an interest in and collected textiles for 22 years. A resident of Istanbul, Turkey, he learned much about textiles from his mentor, the late Josephine Powell, a renowned ethnographer and photographer who was awarded The Textile Museum’s George Hewitt Myers Award for lifetime achievement in 2006. Megalli donated a collection of 149 19th-century Central Asian ikats—stunning, colorful textiles named for the difficult resist dyeing technique used to create their patterns—to The Textile Museum in 2005, with subsequent gifts to the collection. Among one of the largest holdings of Central Asian ikats in the world, the collection represents the artistic virtuosity of this textile tradition and documents how these pieces were used their original cultural context. A selection of textiles from The Textile Museum’s Megalli Collection, including coats for men and women, women’s dresses and pants, cradle covers, hangings and fragments, will be on display for the first time ever in the museum’s fall 2010 exhibition, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats. The entirety of the collection will also be published in a beautifully illustrated catalog with original scholarship complementing the exhibition.

Murad Megalli is a managing director and the chief executive officer for the Middle East, Turkey and Central Asia at J.P. Morgan based out of London and Istanbul. He holds a Master in Management from Yale as well as graduate and undergraduate engineering degrees in civil engineering and hydraulics. He speaks English, Turkish, Arabic and Russian.

About The Turkish Embassy Residence

The Turkish Embassy Residence is one of Washington, D.C.’s most important historic buildings. Designed by well-known architect George Oakley Totten, Jr. and completed in 1914, the Mansion was commissioned by Edward H. Everett, a wealthy industrialist from Cleveland, Ohio best known for inventing the corrugated metal tops for soft-drink bottles. Architect George Oakley Totten, Jr. had a longstanding relationship with Turkey before the future Residence was built. He previously worked in Istanbul, where he designed the first American Chancery and a Residence for Izzet Pasha, the Grand Vezir, Prime Minister of the Empire. His work was so well received that he was offered the position of “Private Architect to the Sultan.”

Totten blended three architectural periods in his design for the mansion: 16th-century Italian, 18th-century Romanesque and 19th-century Art Deco, with distinct features from decorative Ottoman styles. During the 1920s, the House because famous for festive musical evenings with singers from New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Everett continued to reside in the mansion until his death in 1929. In 1932, Everett’s widow, Grace Burnap, leased the House to the Turkish Embassy and it was used both as Chancery and Residence. In 1936, at the behest of Turkey’s first President, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the House was purchased with all its contents. In the 1990s, the Chancery moved to Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue and the Mansion became the Residence of the Ambassadors of Turkey. The Residence was closed in 2004 for a nearly three-year renovation effort, during which all contents were painstakingly restored.

About The Textile Museum

Established in 1925 by collector George Hewitt Myers, The Textile Museum is dedicated to expanding public awareness and appreciation – locally, nationally and internationally – of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. The museum presents changing exhibitions of historical textiles from its 18,000-piece collection and other holdings as well as contemporary fiber art, complemented by a range of public programs for all ages.

The Textile Museum is located at 2320 S Street, NW, in Washington, D.C.’s Embassy Row, and housed in two historic buildings: the founder’s family home – designed in 1913 by John Russell Pope – and an adjacent building designed in 1908. These former residences provide a warm, intimate setting for the museum’s galleries, research library, shop and program spaces. The museum also boasts lovely gardens designed by Rose Greely, Washington’s first licensed female architect. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1-5 p.m. The suggested donation for admission is $5 for non-members. For more information, visit www.textilemuseum.org or call (202) 667-0441.

Media Contact: Cyndi Bohlin, Director of Communications and Marketing, (202) 667-0441, ext. 78 or cbohlin@textilemuseum.org.

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 1^st grade class from Lafayette Elementary School; a 3^rd grade class from Horace Mann Elementary School; and a 3^rd-5^th 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.

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WHAT

WHEN: Friday, March 12, 6-8 p.m.

WHERE: The Textile Museum, 2320 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008; Metro: Dupont Circle, Q Street exit

MEDIA CONTACT: Cyndi Bohlin, (202) 667-0441, ext. 78 or cbohlin@textilemuseum.org

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The Textile Museum has also rescheduled the following programs originally planned for this week:

LUNCHTIME GALLERY TALK
Sourcing the West
POSTPONED TO WEDNESDAY, FEB. 17, 12 PM
Led by Rebecca A.T. Stevens, Consulting Curator, Contemporary Textiles. Free; no reservations required.

EVENINGS AT THE TM
Creative Impulses: Japanese Fashion and Textiles
POSTPONED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 6 PM
Presented by Yoshiko Wada. Fee: $20/members; $25/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. SOLD OUT. To be added to the waiting list, call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64. Evenings at The TM is sponsored by Eleanor T. Rosenfeld.

MEMBERS’ GALLERY TALK AND TOUR
The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings from the Permanent Collection
POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, FEB. 21, 1 PM
Led by Associate Curator Lee Talbot. Free; reservations required. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64. Limited to 35 participants.

PUBLIC GALLERY TALK AND TOUR
The Art of Living: Textile Furnishings from the Permanent Collection
POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, FEB. 21, 2 PM
Led by Associate Curator Lee Talbot. Free; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.

MATSURI: A MIDWINTER JAPANESE FESTIVAL FOR FAMILIES
POSTPONED TO SUNDAY, MARCH 7, 1-5 PM
This free festival offers hands-on art activities, demonstrations and performances for all ages. Free; no reservations required. Presented in cooperation with the Japan-America Society of Washington, D.C.