Fee: $10 (includes two drink tickets/Textile Museum members; one drink ticket/non-members). Advance tickets recommended; purchase online here.

Presented in partnership with The Pink Line Project. Bring your wristband to The Front Page after the event to receive $2.50 cocktails. Prizes donated by PS7, Teaism, Farmers & Fishers, Eat & Smile and FRESHFARM Markets. Furniture provided by Design Within Reach.

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.

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 19^th 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. 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 19^th-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 19^th-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.

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Tickets: $20 per evening. Advance ticket purchase only. Buy tickets online here.

The Embassy of Denmark and The Textile Museum invite you to attend two evenings of cutting-edge textile performances, film and

Tickets on sale now!

conversation in the museum’s beautiful and historic setting on July 23 and 24, hosted by INTERWOVEN. The events are sponsored in part by The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark as a Danish Cultural Event, and will coincide with Capital Fringe Festival 2010. Washington D.C.’s NPR affiliate station, WAMU American University Radio, is the official media sponsor and The Normandy Hotel of The Doyle Collection is the hotel sponsor.

On the evening of July 23, New York-based fashion collective threeASFOUR, whose designers hail from Lebanon, Israel, and Tajikistan, will collaborate on a performance highlighting their ethereal and sculptural approach to textile design while provoking a discussion of an individuals role within society through the ritualistic altering and reshaping of fabric by actors on-stage. The July 24 program will feature a new work by Copenhagen based duo Henrik Vibskov & Andreas Emenius: “The Circular Series, Section 4″ is an original site-specific performance based on human rituals, the constructions we build, and social isolation, using the contrasts of a large rigid geometric structure interacting with chaos, represented by explosions of color.

Following each of the evening performances, author and artist Sabrina Gschwandtner, founder of KnitKnit magazine, will moderate open discussions with the performers, allowing guests to interact with the artists through Q&A. Gschwandtner’s artwork has been exhibited at venues ranging from the Museum of Arts & Design, New York to Gustavsbergs Konsthall, Sweden; she has lectured at such venues as Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London and Harvard University.

In addition to live performances, the event will feature screenings including Vibskov & Emenius’ ‘Project 8’ and ‘Project 9’ (set to sound design by Swedish recording artists FEVER RAY); threeASFOUR’s video collaboration with Yoko Ono; Polish-born artist Olek’s film ‘Attempting the Impossible’ with Naomi White featuring crocheted video-tape; Berlin artist Andrea Splisgar’s ethereal production ‘Chapter 12- The Velvet Revolution’ inspired in part by tarot card number 12 and the throwing of pigments during Holi festival in India; the MoMA: Moderne installation of Shoplifter & AVAF, to critically acclaimed composer Nico Muhly’s Hair Harp collaboration with Shoplifter from ‘Skin Bone Hair’; Sabrina Gschwandtner’s film ‘NO IDLE HANDS’, featuring Liz Collins’ Knitting Nation, and Laure Drogoul’s ‘Orchestral Apparatus for Musical Knitting’, in which people create music from knitting needles outfitted with contact microphones.

Guests will experience unique performances honoring the creative use of fiber with expression through movement, light, and sound, elevating traditional conceptions of textile art. Between performances and film screenings, guests will have an opportunity to converse with the artists, enjoy the gardens and view the museum’s exhibitions.

Buy tickets online here.

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

For program updates, visit INTERWOVEN‘s website.

Farnham is a renowned scholar in the field of Oriental rugs and textiles. He is a recipient of the Joseph V. McMullan Award for Stewardship and Scholarship in Islamic Rugs and Textiles, presented annually by The Near Eastern Art Research Center, and recognized as the most prestigious award in the field of Oriental carpets. Farnham is currently a Textile Museum Research Associate, a member of the International Conference on Oriental Carpet’s (ICOC) Executive Committee, and chair of the ICOC’s Publications Committee.

“Thomas Farnham brings great scholarship and knowledge to The Textile Museum Board of Trustees,” said Bruce P. Baganz, board president.  “His appointment to the board reaffirms the museum as an international center for the textile arts, drawing together the leading experts in the field.”

Thomas Farnham spent his professional career teaching American history initially at the University of North Carolina and later in the Connecticut State University system. While a professor, he wrote seven books, including a biography of Nathan Hale. Farnham’s interest in carpets and textiles was ignited by his research into the life of Charles T. Yerkes, one of the so-called “Robber Barons” of the later 19th century and an unlikely, but significant, carpet collector. The result was a paper about the Yerkes collection that he delivered in 1993 at the Philadelphia International Conference on Oriental Carpets, a paper that was subsequently published in HALI, an English periodical devoted to Oriental rugs, textiles and Islamic art. Since then the provenance of classical carpets, the collectors of classical carpets, and the dealers who have bought and sold them have been Farnham’s particular interests.

Originally from Vermont, Farnham was raised in Massachusetts and educated at the University of North Carolina, where he received his Ph.D. in 1964. Farnham and his wife, Gwen, have five adult children and nine grandchildren and now reside in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

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Maryclaire Ramsey in The Textile Museum's garden. Photo by Katy Uravitch.

The Textile Museum announced today that Maryclaire Ramsey has been promoted to director in recognition of her outstanding work. During the course of her 14 months as chief executive officer, The Textile Museum has achieved a balanced budget, seen an increase in attendance and individual giving, and presented six acclaimed exhibitions accompanied by a wide range of public programs. The museum was also awarded re-accreditation by the American Association of Museums during her tenure as CEO. Ramsey has been with The Textile Museum since April 2007.

“Maryclaire Ramsey’s energizing leadership has brought much to The Textile Museum,” said Bruce P. Baganz, president of the museum’s Board of Trustees. “Over the past 14 months, she has raised the museum’s profile through expanded strategic partnerships, set in place new sources of funding, and maintained The Textile Museum’s high standards of collections care, scholarship, exhibitions and public programs.”

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“We are so pleased that The Textile Museum has been recognized by the American Association of Museums as an institution upholding the highest standards of the field,” said Maryclaire Ramsey, the museum’s director. “This reflects the expertise and professionalism of our staff, Board of Trustees, Advisory Council and volunteers.”

“Re-accreditation by the AAM reaffirms that The Textile Museum is a leader among its museum peers,” commented Bruce P. Baganz, president of The TM Board of Trustees. “In every aspect – its scholarship, collections care and management, exhibitions and public programs, governance and more — the museum provides a model for other institutions worldwide.”

The AAM’s accreditation process has been sustained for more than 35 years. It serves as the primary means for “for quality assurance, self-regulation and public accountability,” according to the AAM’s website. Accreditation is a multiyear process involving one year of self-study and a site visit by a team of peer reviewers. The self-study and visiting committee report are used by the Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation. Institutions awarded accreditation abide by the “highest standards in collections stewardship, governance, institutional planning, ethics, education and interpretation and risk management,” states the AAM’s website.

“The Textile Museum has for 85 years been a gem in the museum crown of Washington, D.C., said AAM president Ford W. Bell. “Emblematic of its service to tourists to the capital and residents alike is its re-accreditation. Simply put, AAM re-accreditation means that The Textile Museum is one of America’s premier institutions, achieving an extraordinary level of excellence in all that it does.”

The Textile Museum was founded in 1925 by collector George Hewitt Myers and first accredited in 1973. The Textile Museum’s mission is to expand public awareness and appreciation – locally, nationally and internationally – of the artistic merit and cultural importance of the world’s textiles. The mission is pursued through changing exhibitions of historical textiles from its 18,000-piece collection and other holdings; scholarship, including publications; maintenance of its research library and historic buildings; the preservation of its collection; public programs for all ages; and educational outreach.

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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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Chevron (detail), 1968. Lucienne Day. Manufactured by Heal Fabrics. Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III Collection of British Textiles.

The first public screening of Contemporary Days: Robin and Lucienne Day Design the UK, produced by Design Onscreen— The Initiative for Architecture and Design on Film, will coincide with the opening of the exhibition Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain at The Textile Museum. The 90-minute film premieres at 7:30 p.m. on May 15, 2010 at the National Geographic Museum’s Grosvenor Auditorium (1145 17th Street NW, Washington, D.C.). A question and answer session with award-winning Scottish Director Murray Grigor and Cinematographer Hamid Shams will follow the screening. General public tickets are $15, including free garage parking, and may only be purchased online and in advance through Design Onscreen (www.designonscreen.org).

Robin and Lucienne Day. Courtesy of Design Onscreen.

About the Film

Robin and Lucienne Day transformed British design after World War II with striking furniture and textiles that signaled a new modernist sensibility for everyday living. Lucienne’s abstract textile designs brought accessible elegance into the homes of postwar British consumers. Robin’s revolutionary furniture designs introduced materials such as plastic, steel and plywood to homes, offices and schools. Together, their fresh design approach helped fuel the artistic and commercial awakening that led Britain out of the devastation of World War II. The film traces the Days’ personal and professional progression over the course of their careers, spanning more than 70 years–from their days at the Royal College of the Arts in the 1930s, through their long heyday at the forefront of British design, to their recent rediscovery by new generations of design aficionados.

About the Filmmakers

Director Murray Grigor is a Scottish filmmaker, writer and curator renowned for his films on architecture and design. His first film, on Charles Rennie Mackintosh, won five international awards, and he has since co-authored The Architects’ Architect on Mackintosh’s international influence. Grigor’s other award-winning films include groundbreaking documentaries on Frank Lloyd Wright, Robert Adam and John Soane, and the landmark PBS series Pride of Place with Robert Stern. His most recent film, Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner, has been a festival favorite since its premiere in 2008 at UCLA’s Hammer Museum. Cinematographer/Producer Hamid Shams has served as director, cinematographer and/or producer for numerous television commercials, music videos and short and feature documentary/narrative films, including Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner, Tie-Died: Rock ’n Roll’s Most Dedicated Fans, and Painting the Town—all of which received highly favorable reviews for cinematography in major newspapers and festivals around the US and Europe.

About Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain

Opening May 15, Art by the Yard will be view at The Textile Museum through September 12, 2010, and is the first exhibition of its kind in Washington, D.C. The art of textile design changed radically after World War II as Britain was transformed from a country devastated by war into an optimistic consumer society. Three women designers were pivotal in this artistic revolution: Lucienne Day (1917- 2010), Jacqueline Groag (1903-1985) and Marian Mahler (1911-1983). Incorporating dramatic saturated colors and bold motifs inspired by artists like Alexander Calder and Joan Miró, these young designers transformed the market by inspiring elegant yet affordable product lines that brought the world of contemporary art into everyone’s homes. The exhibition showcases the work of these groundbreaking women designers through the display of textiles together with drawings and collages, ceramics and period furniture, all drawn from the Jill A. Wiltse and H. Kirk Brown III Collection of British Textiles.

About Design Onscreen

Design Onscreen is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation dedicated to producing, promoting and preserving high-quality films on architecture and design. Founded in 2007 by Denver documentary enthusiasts Jill A. Wiltse and H Kirk Brown III, Design Onscreen’s other architectural documentaries include: William Krisel, Architect (screening at LA’s Getty Center in April 2010), Journeyman Architect: The Life and Work of Donald Wexler (2009) and Desert Utopia: Midcentury Architecture in Palm Springs (2009). Another Design Onscreen film, Hella Jongerius: Contemporary Archetypes (2009), premiered in May 2009 at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Museum of Art and Design. Please visit www.designonscreen.org for more information.

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

To download the press kit for Art by the Yard: Women Design Mid-Century Britain, click here.