Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross As I type the word “neuroarts” into my computer, auto-correct underlines the word, suggesting that I’ve made an error. I haven’t. My computer has. Neuroarts is a relatively recently coined term and a broad label describing the burgeoning scientific field …

The Valkyries’ Loom: The Archaeology of Cloth Production and Female Power in the North Atlantic by Michele Hayeur Smith This work, based on research funded by the National Science Foundation’s 9 NSF Arctic Social Sciences Program might, at first perusal, seem to have predominantly a niche appeal, but as an interdisciplinary study, it is much …

SDA is committed to supporting the efforts of community members to realize their creative goals and positively impact the world of textile and fiber art. SDA’s Grants & Awards program provides an array of opportunities to support members as they demonstrate excellence in the studio and in exhibitions, engage in professional development, organize events, and …

Fashion & Motherhood: Image, Material, Identity edited by Laura Snelgrove In 1976, Adrienne Rich published Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution, ushering in motherhood studies as a field of academic inquiry. At the time, it was provocative to consider something perceived as “natural” as worthy of critical analysis, but the past decades have …

The Mushroom Color Atlas: A Guide to Dyes and Pigments Made from Fungi by Julie Beeler As someone who is well versed in natural dyeing, mushroom dyes and pigments are still such a wonder and mystery to me. Every time I’ve talked with author Julie Beeler about mushroom dyeing, it opens up a whole new …

Surface Design Association is excited to announce Friends with Fiber, our Winter 2024 edition of Surface Design Journal. “Artists are natural explorers⎯drawn to experimentation in concept, material and technique. Friends with Fiber celebrates those individuals who push the boundaries by combining disparate materials and techniques in exciting new ways. For example, clay and fiber appear …

Thank you to everyone who made this year at SDA possible! We are fortunate to have such passionate staff, board, volunteers, committees, and members who continually help us grow, learn, and expand. Here’s a look back at some highlights from SDA for 2024, and we can’t wait to see what comes next in 2025!  Parallel …

Thank you readers for another lovely year of SDA’s Book Club! In 2024 we had ten great reviews by Faith Hagenhofer, Vivien Zepf, Zia Gipson, and Lauren Sinner. We’re really excited about the lineup we have coming in 2025 and hope you keep reading. Here’s a combined list of all of our reviews from the …

Paper as Textile by Anzara Clark The Australian artist, educator and author Anzara Clark, through her two-volume series Paper as Textile, presents quotidian, universal and culturally pervasive paper as a sculptural and expressive medium for its innate flexibility, adaptability, and endless versatility. In Clark’s books, artists and craftspeople are given a sort of classroom-in-a-book through …

Surface Design Association is excited to announce Embrace: Expect the Unexpected, our Fall 2024 edition of Surface Design Journal. “Embrace can take on many meanings, from embracing your identity and who you are to embracing the mistakes and unplanned elements that go hand-in-hand with making. The theme also lends itself to collaborative work and the …