When researching some of the top books for the year, I starting thinking about the main themes that surface when people talk about contemporary textiles. Some of the main ones that have arisen include: digital textiles, natural dyeing, and sustainable fashion. This roundup features the best books to give (and get) in 2015 and includes critical dialogues around textile culture, …

This week’s Friday Fibers Roundup features many makers, artists, and creatives working in socially engaged and critical ways. Whether it’s a communal textile project shedding light on the rollback of women’s rights, or garment workers discussing health, safety, and labor concerns about fashion production in LA, this week’s roundup will not disappoint. 1) The Exquisite Uterus Project was started …

The Korea Bojagi Forum 2016 took place this year at Suwon Park Museum of Art (SIMA), a dynamic contemporary building in the historic walled city of Suwon, South Korea, from September 1-4, 2016. This was the third biennial conference focused on Bojagi: The Living Tradition.  Patricia Malarcher, former Editor of Surface Design Journal, offers us …

This week’s Friday Fibers Roundup spotlights multiple calls for artwork, papers, and events, as well a critical look into the connections between weaving and the digital. 1) The Material Turn Project is a call for a series of events that encourage scholarship, building critical dialogue, and showcasing visual artifacts created around the theme of materializing …

Contextile, a biennial exhibition featuring contemporary textile art, was recently held in Guimarães, Portugal. Surface Design Association is fortunate to have Jessica Hemmings write a review of the exhibition after attending, as well as sharing images of some of her favorites works in the show. The 2016 Contextile exhibition was held in the Portuguese town of Guimarães, …

In honor of “Mending”, our Fall 2016 edition of Surface Design Journal, coming out this week, every roundup post expands upon and reference this hot topic. 1) In “Extreme Mending”, Susan Brown questions why the concept of mending is rarely brought up in conversations about sustainability (via Cooper Hewitt). 2) Aram Han Sifuentes’ Test Sampler …

Mending is trending in the art world, but mending as a movement to improve our lives has been “hot” since the dawn of humanity. History (of all cultures) provides us with ample success stories—and cautionary tales. What motivates the desire to mend rather than discard? This issue is filled with inspiring examples of artists working …

SDA Member Cameron Anne Mason recently had the wonderful experience of being selected as the first fiber artist to take part in the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery’s annual Artist Series. Below, she details the selection process, turning her work from dimensional fiber pieces to two-dimensional labels, and the wine release party. The Artist Series wine …

This week’s Friday Fibers Roundup features some innovative works by multiples artists, a new blog post from Critical Craft Forum, and a recent exhibition at the Fuller Craft Museum! 1) MIT researchers have developed a beaver-like fur material in order to help surfers stay warm (via Interesting Engineering). 2) Critical Craft Forum has a new blog …

Surface Design Association is pleased to announce the opening of submissions for our 3rd International Juried Members’ exhibition, Shifting Landscapes. Juried by Erika Lynne Hanson and Frank Rose, this exhibition will explore both traditional and non-traditional contemporary interpretations of place by makers working with or inspired by fiber or textile materials and techniques. Shifting Landscapes …