“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

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The Textile Museum Shop is Ready for the Holiday Season

11/30/2012 — tmpressroom

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Oya Crochet Earrings ($29.95)

The Textile Museum Shop is ready for the holiday season, and is the perfect place to buy one-of-a-kind gifts. 

Voted one of the best museum shops in Washington, D.C. by both Frommer’s and Apartment Therapy, the shop carries beautiful gifts in every price range, from embroidered bags, to silk scarves, to unique housewares. For the indecisive, gift certificates are also available.

In keeping with the current exhibition The Sultan’s Garden: The Blossoming of Ottoman Art, visitors will find plenty of floral patterns and handmade items from Turkey and its surrounding countries.  The catalog for that exhibition is also available for sale, and makes an excellent gift for any textile enthusiast.

One of the shop’s most popular annual events, The Member VIP Shopping Weekend, will be December 7-9.  Members get a 25% discount on all purchases (members receive a 10% discount the rest of the year) both in the shop and online.

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Twoolie knit animals – Mexico ($18)

The shop is open to the public during regular museum hours (Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m.) as well as during after-hours programs such as special lectures and events.  And The Textile Museum Shop is open 24/7 on the web at textilemuseumshop.org.

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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Former Textile Museum Board President Edwin Zimmerman Passes Away

10/17/2012 — tmpressroom

The Textile Museum mourns the passing of Edwin M. Zimmerman, former president of The Textile Museum Board of Trustees, who passed away on Saturday, October 6, 2012 at his home.  A partner at Covington and Burling practicing in antitrust law since 1969, a published poet, and a carpet aficionado, Mr. Zimmerman was 88. 

An avid rug collector, Zimmerman was the President of the Board of Trustees of The Textile Museum from 1986 until 1996. Following his retirement, Mr. Zimmerman was named Trustee Emeritus to the museum in recognition of his contributions.  He also received the TM’s Award of Distinction in 2008.

Bruce P. Baganz, president of the Textile Museum Board of Trustees, said of the late Mr. Zimmerman:  “Ed was a devoted supporter of The Textile Museum and its mission to expand knowledge of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. It was under his tireless leadership as board president that the institution made considerable advances in strengthening its best practices in museum operations. Today, following Ed’s initiatives, The Textile Museum’s professionalism is exemplary in the museum field. The entire TM board and staff express their heartfelt condolences to his family for their loss.”  

Mr. Zimmerman was born in New York, New York to immigrant parents, Tobie Fuchs Zimmerman and Benjamin Zimmerman, who came to the U.S. as a 12 year-old with a sewing machine hanging from his neck, and made a living as a tailor in New York’s Garment District. Zimmerman received his LLB from Columbia University Law School in 1949, served clerk to Supreme Court Justice Stanley Reid, was a professor at Stanford University Law School, and Assistant Attorney General, Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  He was a Founding Trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council, member of the Council of the Administrative Conference of the United States, the Manufacturing Studies Board, National Academy of Science, and the Washington Textile Group. He was also a poet, and was a member of the Capitol Hill Poetry Group and Folger Shakespeare Library’s Poetry Board.

The Zimmerman family is making plans to memorialize Mr. Zimmerman at The Textile Museum in November. For more details, please contact info@textilemuseum.org. 

An obituary for Mr. Zimmerman is available at The Washington Post.

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Milton Sonday to be Honored by The Textile Museum

09/16/2011 — tmpressroom

The Textile Museum announced today that educator and scholar Milton Sonday will be the 2011 recipient of the 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 an individual’s lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to the field of textile arts. Previous recipients include author and publisher Michael Franses (2010); researcher Mattiebelle Gittinger (2009); scholar Jon Thompson (2008); collector and philanthropist Lloyd Cotsen (2007); the late Josephine Powell (2006), an ethnographer and photographer; and textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen (2005). The award will be presented to Sonday in October 2011 in Washington, D.C.

Milton Sonday giving remarks during the 2009 George Hewitt Myers Award Reception. Photo by Kevin Allen.

Sonday’s research has focused on textile techniques, structure and pattern; including the detailed analysis of complex weaves and European laces. He is renowned for his elegant diagrams of textiles, which have evolved from color-coded drawings, to paper constructions, to pencil illustrations. Through an insistence that the same professional standards that apply to other areas of scholarship should be applied to the study of the textile arts, Sonday has shaped the direction of the field of textile studies. He has worked to create programs on textile analysis known for their exhaustive thoroughness at museums throughout the country (including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, The Victoria and Albert Museum, and The Cleveland Museum of Art), and has also served as guide and mentor to individual researchers. Sonday was also a founding member of the Textile Society of America in 1987 and served as its president, shaping many initial policies.

When asked to describe his career, Sonday said, “It started at The Textile Museum.” Joining as staff artist in 1961, Sonday became a curator and was placed in charge of the rug collection, eventually organizing the first exhibition of Chinese carpets, East of Turkistan: An Exhibition of Chinese Rugs and Textiles (1967). He would publish extensively with The Textile Museum, including as a key scholar in the museum’s 1987 publication Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart, and several articles in The Textile Museum Journal, including analyses of velvet.

Sonday’s 30-year tenure with the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum began in 1968. With his attuned eye and acute understanding of the many ways textiles are made and patterned, he recommended significant additions to the Cooper-Hewitt’s comprehensive collection, including international examples of cutting-edge textile technology, such as the work of Japanese textile innovator Junichi Arai, who created advanced fabrics for the likes of Issey Miyake and the Nuno Corporation. His exhibitions with the Cooper-Hewitt included the beautiful Lace (1982) and the full-floor show Color, Light, Surface: Recent Textiles (1990). Color, Light, Surface featured a large collection of commercially and independently produced lengths of fabrics of the 1980s from Europe, the United States and Japan.

This is a model of a velvet made from paper strips by Sonday, published in The Textile Museum Journal, 1999-2000.

“From the analysis of historical velvet and lace, to showcasing the exceptional continuous patterns of Persian textiles through elegant drawings, Milton Sonday has clearly documented the inherent complexity of textiles to scholars and the public alike,” said Bruce Baganz, President of The Textile Museum Board of Trustees. In addition to structure analysis, Sonday is renowned for his research into the little-studied field of continuous pattern. Textile Museum Research Associate for Southeast Asian Textiles Mattiebelle Gittinger (and 2009 recipient of the Myers Award) explained, “He has taught nuance in structure and pattern to a generation of textile scholars and graced the field with lucidity and artistry in his textile drawings and diagrams.”

Today Sonday divides his time between New York and Pennsylvania, and continues independent research in addition to creating original textile art. In his most recent work he weaves narrow strips of paper to combine two contrasting images—resulting in ikat-like pieces that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are illuminating.

Download a PDF version of the full-length press release.

For more information, contact Katy Clune, Communications and Marketing Manager,  kclune@textilemuseum.org, (202) 667-0441, ext. 77.

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Natalie Chanin and “Green” Artists Visit the TM this Summer

05/24/2011 — tmpressroom

In conjunction with the exhibition Green: the Color and the Cause, this summer will bring world-renowned artists and textile experts to The Textile Museum to share their insights into the world of green art.

The In Their Own Words: Artist Lecture Series features Green exhibiting artists, including couture fashion designer Natalie Chanin and Gyöngy Laky, a New York Times Magazine featured cover artist.    These contemporary artists will discuss their creative process and their work on view in Green: the Color and the Cause.  After the lecture, attendees are invited enjoy light refreshments with the artists in the beautiful TM gardens or to continue to explore the galleries, open late until 8.p.m following the program.

TM visitors will also have the opportunity to create their own green art through a series of hands-on Summer Arts Workshops.  These workshops range from easy afternoon projects, to more in-depth multi-day studies of specific topics and techniques.  Workshop sessions include natural dyeing, green crochet (taught by Green artist Jackie Abrams), silk screening, digital textile design, and textile storage and mounting (led by the TM’s own chief conservator Esther Méthé).  Registration to any multi-day workshop includes a one-year membership to the TM at the Individual level.  View more information about these workshops on our website.

Register for any workshop or program by calling (202) 667-0441 ext. 64.  A full listing of all upcoming programs at The Textile Museum can be viewed on our website.

In Their Own Words: Artist Lecture Series

Gyöngy Laky: Geometric Disturbances
Thursday, May 26, 6PM
Gyöngy Laky explores form, arrangement, dimensionality, material, texture, and pattern in her grids, vessels, and language sculptures. Laky uses screws, nails, dowels and wire with natural branches or commercial wood – even occasionally, charcoal, plastic soldiers, or post-consumer items.  Her art has been described as  both “elegant and ornery” and  “crude and tidy” and her piece The Green Issue on view in Green, was featured on the cover of an environmentally-focused New York Times Magazine. Join Laky as she divulges her concepts and methods.  Fee: $20/members; $25/ non-members. Advance registration is required. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or register online. Space is limited.

Natalie Chanin: “Life Is In the Details” 
Thursday, June 16, 6 PM
After a decade abroad as a stylist and filmmaker Natalie Chanin returned to her home in Florence, Alabama to begin the clothing line Alabama Chanin that has touched the lives of women who both make and wear her styles.  Natalie has pioneered a “slow design” movement; the fibers for her garments are grown in Texas, spun in Tennessee, knit in South Carolina, dyed in North Carolina and Mississippi, then cut, painted, and sewn entirely by hand in Florence, Alabama.  Join Natalie as she speaks candidly about the journey that brought her back to her roots and the unique business model that makes this artisan enterprise possible.  Fee: $20/members; $25/ non-members.  Advance registration is required. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register or register online. Space is limited.

Michael F. Rhode: Functional to Conceptual
Thursday, July 7, 6 PM
Michael Rohde began hand-weaving flat rugs over thirty-five years ago. As his work evolved, it was influenced by the loom’s capabilities, inspirations from travel, and exposure to other textile traditions. Rhode began working in tapestries when the concept behind his weavings became more important than their function. Join him as he shares insight into his trajectory as a weaver and artist, and learn more about his work on view in the exhibition. Fee (includes refreshments): $20/members; $25/non-members. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register or register online.

Summer Arts Workshops

“UP-CYCLE” YOUR PLASTIC BAGS
Saturday, June 18, 10 AM-4 PM
Green exhibition artist Jackie Abrams teaches you to make a strong, colorful and multi-purpose carrier using everyday plastic bags and the simple technique of crocheting. No experience is necessary. Although you may not be able to finish during class time, instructions will be provided to complete your bag at home. A short presentation of the development of a plastic bag crochet cooperative in Ghana is included.  Fee: $35/members, $45/non-members.  Participants must bring plastic bags (about 50), crochet hooks (size J or K), scissors (with long sharp blades), and a tape measure (optional).  Register online for this workshop.

THE GREEN ELEMENTS:
DIGITAL TEXTILE DESIGN AND PRINTING
Part I: Friday, July 15, 10:30 AM-4 PM
Part II: Saturday, July 16, 10:30 AM-4 PM
Part III: Sunday, July 17, 1-4 PM
This introductory workshop on creating and printing textile design is led by Hitoshi Ujiie, Professor at Philadelphia University and Heather Ujiie, Professor at Moore College of Design. The course is focused on designing and developing printed textiles with a “green” theme. Instruction includes file preparation, file formating and coloring. Participants also will learn the basic digital inkjet printing process.  Fee: $275/members, $335/non-members.  Computer equipment required as well as Photoshop skills.  Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register.

TEXTILE STORAGE AND MOUNTING
Part I (Storage): Wednesday, July, 20, 10 AM-4 PM
Part II (Mounting + Display): Thursday, July 21, 10 AM-4 PM
Anyone from the seasoned collector to the fiber artist needs to know how to properly store and mount their treasures. Attend this special two-day workshop led by Esther Méthé, The Textile Museum’s chief conservator, and learn the techniques and standards used by the experts.  Fee (includes materials); $170/members, $200/non-members.  Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register.

SHADES OF GREEN: NATURAL DYEING WORKSHOP
Part I: Friday, July 22 10:30 AM-4 PM
Part II: Saturday, July 23, 10:30 AM-4 PM
Part III: Sunday, July 24, 1-4 PM
Led by artist, weaver, and independent textile conservator Louise Wheatley, this vegetable dye workshop explores the three-part process of creating the color green. The first day will focus on mordanting various fabrics and fibers. During the second and third days participants will prepare dye pots with yellow producing plants, and then overdye them in an indigo vat to create many shades of green.  Fee (includes materials): $275/members, $335/non-members.  Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register.

TEXT IN DESIGN: SCREEN PRINTING WORKSHOP
Saturday, August 6, 2-4 PM
Explore the use of text in creating patterns on recycled wall art and textiles with artist Kristina Bilonick in this screen printing workshop. Participants should bring a favorite piece of text (such as a poem, quote, love letter, or lyrics) to use in their design. Using the drawing fluid technique for screen printing, you will create a stencil to print on recycled cardboard. In addition, attendees are encouraged to bring in old textiles to experiment on and give new life to old tee shirts, jackets, pillowcases, and curtains.  Fee (includes materials): $45/members, $55/non-members.  Participants should bring a favorite quote, and may choose to bring any additional textiles they wish to screenprint.  Register online for this workshop.

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Love Your Local Museums This June at the Free Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend

05/12/2011 — tmpressroom

"Celebration of Textiles" at The Textile Museum takes place during the annual DKMC Walk Weekend.

Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5

Live green and love local this summer by discovering ten diverse museums in one of Washington, DC’s most beautiful neighborhoods during the 28th Annual Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend (June 4 and 5, 2011). Save on gas and museum admission by hitting the pavement and taking a walking tour or riding the free shuttle between sites. Discover the 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 free of charge.

Dupont-Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend is the perfect chance to explore DC’s “off-the-mall” museums. In addition to a wide variety of exhibitions, many sites are offering special programs in keeping with the “live green, love local” theme. Enjoy period music and bring a picnic to the gardens at Dumbarton House, stop by The Textile Museum’s Celebration of Textiles to participate in recycled garment tie-dyeing, take part in Jazz ‘n’ Family Fun Days at The Phillips Collection and celebrate the memory of a loved one in a creative and artful way at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History.

Refreshments will be available for sale via several of DC’s beloved food trucks throughout the neighborhood, including Sweet Green and Carmen’s Ice. A green-themed photo contest celebrating these neighborhood museums is organized by Washington City Paper. Stay tuned to City Paper Events for more details about entry and prizes.

The 28th 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: Event is held rain or shine; open hours at each museum vary each day; the National Museum of American Jewish Military History is open Sunday only.

About the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium
The Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium (DKMC) was established in 1983 to promote the “off the Mall” museums and their neighborhoods in the greater Dupont Circle-Kalorama area of Washington, DC.

Download the full-length press 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.

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PM @ the TM Guests Give Back to Local Charity

04/12/2011 — tmpressroom

Left to Right: Hattie Lehman (Assistant to the Curator of Education, The Textile Museum), Cortney Kelly (House Operations Manager, RMHC), Emily Travis (Communications and Marketing Assistant, The Textile Museum)

On Friday, March 11, 2011, guests at The Textile Museum’s PM @ the TM: Midnight at the Oasis after-hours event collaborated and worked together to hand stitch nearly thirty stuffed felt owls to donate to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, DC.  The activity gave museum visitors the opportunity to practice simple hand sewing skills while contributing to a project that gave back to the community.

These colorful stuffed owls were delivered to their new homes and families at the Ronald McDonald House on Friday, March 22.  The Textile Museum staff also contributed to the cause and donated various household items from the Ronald McDonald House’s wishlist.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Washington, DC provides a temporary home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children who are being treated at DC hospitals.  Please visit their website to learn more about this organization and their commitment to improving the health and well-being of children.

For more information about this story, please contact Katy Clune, Acting Director of Communications and Marketing, at kclune@textilemuseum.org.

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“Colors of the Oasis” Closes March 13

02/18/2011 — tmpressroom
ColorsOfTheOasis

"Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats," on view through March 13, 2011. Photo by Kevin Allen.

Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, an exhibition dubbed “overwhelming” with its boldness and color, closes at The Textile Museum on March 13.  This rich, jewel-toned exhibition of more than 60 ikat robes and hangings explores ikat fabrics from Central Asia through the lenses of beauty, technique, and culture.

What is ikat?
Ikat (pronounced ee-kat) cloth is made by dyeing individual silk threads before they are woven into fabric. The threads are resist-dyed in a process similar to tie-dyeing; threads are tied and bound tightly together so parts of the threads remain un-dyed. Upon weaving, the striking ikat pattern is revealed.

Story Ideas for Colors of the Oasis

  • The Ikat “Look” in Contemporary Design

    • Oscar de la Renta reproduced bright, graphic ikat patterns in his spring 2005 collection—and today, prints derived from the ikat technique are available at Pottery Barn, Target, Anthropologie, Chico’s, J Crew and more.  While mainstream designers have adopted this visual language, Colors of the Oasis reveals its undiluted source.

  • The Fabric of a Culture

    • Silk ikat garments were the height of fashion in 19th century Uzbekistan. The wealthy could afford more intricate patterns, and communicated their status through layering robe upon robe. In response to the popularity of the fabric, which quickly traversed the Silk Road, multiple ethnic groups became involved in the production process.

  • A Collector’s Legacy

    • All of the ikats in Colors of the Oasis were donated to The Textile Museum by the late cultural philanthropist and collector Murad Megalli (1957-2011), who set out to assemble the world’s most diverse collection of Central Asian ikat garments. This exhibit presents the finest articulation of a nation’s people that many know little about.

 

“Don’t think for a minute that the 19th-century equivalent of a Milan catwalk didn’t exist on the plains of Central Asia” – Washington Flyer Magazine

“Just go for the sheer purpose of being around style and grace.” – Ari C., Yelp.com

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

Download the press release in PDF form.

Request a link to a gallery of high-resolution exhibition images available for download.

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Recycling Materials & Reinventing Meaning

02/09/2011 — tmpressroom

 

Before and After

Emphasizing a non-materialistic Buddhist sensibility, this cover for a religious text was pieced from a badge indicating high status in the chinese imperial court. Top: Rank badge, China, Ming dynasty. Collection of Dr. Young Yang Chung. (Not on view). Bottom: Sutra cover made from a rank badge, China, 16th-17th century. TM 51.37. Acquired by George Hewitt Myers in 1956.

Second Lives: the Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles
on view at The Textile Museum February 4, 2011 – January 8, 2012

February 2, 2011, Washington, D.C. — The Textile Museum launches a year-long exploration of the ties between textiles and environmentalism with the opening of two new exhibitions in 2011. Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles (February 4, 2011 – January 8, 2012) presents ingenious examples of repurposed textiles from around the world. Examples from the museum’s diverse permanent collections illustrate this phenomenon across cultures and centuries. These historic examples complement the major exhibition opening later this spring: Green: the Color and the Cause (April 16 -September 11, 2011).

About the Exhibition

Long before vintage fashion boutiques were in vogue, artisans found ways to repurpose precious handmade textiles. Throughout history and across cultures, textiles were so valuable that worn and threadbare fabrics were seldom simply discarded. Textiles are reused for aesthetic, symbolic, or practical reasons. Recycling can be an act of remembrance or signification; like a quilt pieced from childhood clothes, new textile forms carry the memories of past times, owners, experiences, and uses into the future.

Second Lives features 18 objects from The Textile Museum’s permanent collection that showcase the different forms repurposing textiles has taken around the world. Objects on view date from the 16th through the 20th centuries and include patchwork hangings from Uzbekistan, India and Iran, textiles woven with recycled fiber from Japan and the American Southwest, and garments constructed from discarded religious textiles from the Pacific Northwest coast and Turkey. Each object embodies layers of meaning and social significance.

Several of the objects on view carry religious significance—either in their original form, or in their repurposed incarnation. A sutra (religious text) cover from the 16-17th century is pieced from an insignia badge worn by a Chinese military officer during the Ming dynasty. In order to accrue merit for deceased loved ones, people in East Asia sometimes donated dead family members’ fine clothing to Buddhist temples, where they were reconfigured into new forms for sacred use. In the Islamic world, fine textiles once used as coverings at holy sites in Mecca and Medina were distributed to pilgrims, some of whom used these fabrics to create objects imbued with almost magical significance. A red silk vest adorned with verses from the Koran was likely worn by its wearer as a talisman.

Luxurious garments communicate wealth and status, and when they can no longer be worn, cultures have found ways to reuse them. A panel from a Qing dynasty (1644-1912) Chinese dragon robe, a prestigious garment requiring two to three years of labor to complete, is included in this exhibition as a wall hanging.

While some textiles are valued for the labor involved, others are valued for the stories they tell. Two finely woven velvet panels from 16th-century Persia found their way to Ottoman Turkey, where Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent (1494-1566) used them to embellish his tent. Taken from Turkey to Poland in the 17th century, they were incorporated into a noble family’s sled blanket, used until the 1920s.

Second Lives: the Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles is organized by Lee Talbot, Associate Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Collections.

About The Textile Museum

Established 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 museum explores the role that textiles play in the daily and ceremonial life of individuals the world over. Special attention is given to textiles of the Near East, Asia, Africa and the indigenous cultures of the Americas. The museum also presents exhibitions of historical and contemporary quilts, and fiber art. With a collection of more than 18,000 textiles and rugs, The Textile Museum is a unique and valuable resource for people locally, nationally and internationally.

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. An $8 donation is requested of non-members.

For more information, call (202) 667-0441 or visit www.textilemuseum.org.

For more information, please contact Katy Clune at (202) 667-0441, ext. 77, or by e-mail at kclune@textilemuseum.org or visit www.textilemuseum.org/about/pressroom.htm.

Request a link to a gallery of high-resolution exhibition images available for download.

Download this press release in PDF form.

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Artists Reuse, Respond to the Environment in Two New TM Exhibitions

12/14/2010 — tmpressroom

The Textile Museum launches a year-long exploration of the ties between textiles and environmentalism with the opening of two new exhibitions in 2011.  Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles (February 4,

Ceremonial mantles, or cloaks, were sometimes cut into pieces and distributed as gifts by the Tlingit, Tsimshian, and Haida tribes of the Northwest Coast—resulting in creative re-imaginations of the prized cloth such as this vest.

2011 – January 8, 2012) presents ingenious examples of repurposed textiles from around the world. These historic examples complement the major spring exhibition, Green: the Color and the Cause (April 16 -September 11, 2011). Today the word “green” is as likely to refer to eco-consciousness as the color itself. Playing with green’s symbolism and often incorporating recycled materials, artists from around the world are responding to the environment. Green will showcase the art of these contemporary makers, presenting their work alongside historical precedents from the museum’s collection.

SECOND LIVES: THE AGE-OLD ART OF RECYCLING TEXTILES
February 4, 2011 – January 8, 2012

Long before vintage fashion boutiques were in vogue, artisans found ways to repurpose precious handmade textiles. Throughout history and across cultures, textiles were so valuable that worn and threadbare fabrics were seldom simply discarded.

Second Lives features 18 objects from The Textile Museum’s permanent collection that illustrate the different forms repurposing textiles has taken around the world. Objects on view date from the 16th through the 20th centuries and include patchwork hangings from Uzbekistan, India and Iran, textiles woven with recycled fiber from Japan and the American Southwest, and garments constructed from discarded religious textiles from the Pacific Northwest coast and Turkey. Each object embodies layers of meaning and social significance.

Luxurious garments communicate wealth and status, and when they can no longer be worn, cultures have found ways to reuse them. A panel from a Qing dynasty (1644-1912) Chinese dragon robe, a prestigious garment requiring two to three years of labor to complete, is included in this exhibition as a wall hanging.

While some textiles are valued for the labor involved, others are valued for the stories they tell. Two finely woven velvet panels from 16th-century Persia found their way to Ottoman Turkey, where Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent (1494-1566) used them to embellish his tent. Taken from Turkey to Poland in the 17th century, they were incorporated into a noble family’s sled blanket, used until the 1920s.

Second Lives: the Age-Old Art of Recycling Textiles is organized by Lee Talbot, Associate Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Collections.

TO REQUEST IMAGES, CLICK HERE.

GREEN: THE COLOR AND THE CAUSE
April 16 – September 11, 2011

Green: the Color and the Cause will feature original contemporary works by 32 international fiber artists, ranging from stitched canvas to sculpture. These works are presented in conjunction with 13 historical pieces from The Textile Museum’s permanent collection that explore how cultures across the world have captured and interpreted the color green through textile art.

Green is the third in a series of Textile Museum exhibitions exploring the cultural and artistic significance of specific colors in textile art; it follows Red and Blue. The exhibition also provides a forum for contemporary fiber artists to contribute to the global conversation about the environment. “We are excited to inspire reflection on environmental concerns facing us today through the artwork in Green” says Textile Museum Director Maryclaire Ramsey. “This is such an important conversation, one uniting people all over the world. And it can be informed by looking at the cross-cultural significance of the color green historically.”

To assemble the group of artists represented in Green, The Textile Museum issued a call for entry to contemporary fiber artists across the country and around the globe. Exhibition co-curators Rebecca A.T. Stevens and Lee Talbot reviewed more than 1,000 works of art submitted by nearly 300 artists. From this group, the co-curators selected 32 contemporary artists—representing 18 U.S. states and 6 countries—to participate in the exhibition.

The artwork in Green: the Color and the Cause will address multiple themes, including:

  • Connections between Man and Nature
  • Water: its importance to the natural, and manmade, world
  • Life Cycle: nature as symbols of life cycle stages—birth, growth and decay
  • Recycling: creating new art forms from recycled materials
  • Green as a Color: the human perception of and associations with this color

For the first time in its 85-year history, The Textile Museum will present two site-specific installations as part of this exhibition: a handmade paper sculpture of the ecosystem of coastal New Jersey that emulates the ebb and flow of an important estuary (Estuary: Moods and Modes, 2007, Nancy Cohen), and a lace-covered arbor embedded with grass seed, installed in the museum’s garden, that will sprout, mature and die during the period the exhibition is on view (Arbor Lace, 2002, Michele Brody).

Shape of Green II, 2009 Shigeo Kubota Nylon; assembled

Although united in theme and color, the objects on view in the exhibition are diverse in structure and size. For her Hothouse Flowers, artist Maggie Hiltner used castoff household textiles and embroidered figures on a bright green background to critique the distancing of mankind from nature. A Woman of Substance by Jackie Abrams comments on consumerism and today’s “throw away” culture with a basket coiled from discarded silk blouses. The basket’s core elements are held in place by a single thread, which for the artist symbolizes the threads of life that hold us together and give us a common framework. Gyöngy Laky’s ALTERATIONS, which was featured on the cover of the New York Times magazine in spring 2008, incorporates tree pruning to literally spell out “The Green Issue.” Laky could be speaking for many of the artists in Green when she says, “I am interested in making a small dent in changing [i.e., altering] attitudes about the environment and our relationship to it.”

Green: the Color and the Cause is co-curated by Lee Talbot, Associate Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Collections, and Rebecca A.T. Stevens, Consulting Curator, Contemporary Textiles. The exhibition will be on view at The Textile Museum April 16 through September 11, 2011.

TO REQUEST IMAGES, CLICK HERE.

TO DOWNLOAD A PRESS RELEASE (PDF), CLICK HERE.


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