Yarns are the threads that bind us. Spun from animal fibres, farmed from nature, innovated in labs or unravelled from waste, they are currently at the forefront of contemporary culture with the exciting return of creative knitwear and crochet — simultaneously an expression of craft, resilience and protest but also a trendy way to combat the onslaught of digital technology and intelligence. Come learn more about how yarns relate to identity, circularity, diversity, empowerment, environment and social change. Now, more than ever, we will savor their federating power and celebrate the knit of togetherness.

Curated by Philip Fimmano as part of New York Textile Month, this special online conference brings together speakers from around the globe, continuing our dedication to textile creativity and education by offering this exciting program free to all students and teaching faculty. 

An international lineup of speakers features Li Edelkoort, Philip Fimmano, students from Polimoda’s Farm to Fabric to Fashion Masters, and many more. The event also includes the announcement of the 2023 Dorothy Waxman International Textile Design Prize, proudly supported by Mohawk Group. 

Program

9:00 AM THE KNIT OF TOGETHERNESS

Philip Fimmano, co-founder, of Talking Textiles

9:05 AM SWADDLING: Autumn/Winter 2024–25

Li Edelkoort, trend forecaster 

9:40 AM CONSCIOUS CASHMERE

Charlotte Björklund, founder, Linnea Lund

10:00 AM FARM TO YARN

Polimoda Textile Masters Second Year Students: Georgia Pfaff, Priya Deep, Marinela Yzellari & Sabrina Stadlobe

10:20 AM FAIR ISLE KNITTING

Helen Wyld, Senior Curator of Historic Textiles, Global Arts, Cultures & Design, National Museums Scotland

10:40 AM MAXHOSA AFRICA

Laduma Ngxokolo, fashion designer

11:00 AM ANDEAN KNITTING

Aymar Ccopacatty, artist

11:20 AM WOOL FIBERS

Hasnain Lilani, Co-Founder of Datini Fibres in conversation with Cynthia Hathaway, Woolmarch

11:40 AM REVOLUTION & KNITTING

Amy Twigger Holroyd, Associate Professor of Fashion & Sustainability, Nottingham Trent University 

12:00 PM MENDING & KNITTING

Celia Pym, artist

12:20 PM OPEN SOURCE KNITTING

Ruth Herring, knitwear & crochet designer

12:45 PM SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT 

Dorothy Waxman International Textile Design Prize Announcement with Royce Epstein, Mohawk Group

1:00 PM approximate end

General Admission: $50

Students & Faculty:  FREE (please register with your institution email)

In December 2023 I will have an exhibition "Reaching Hands". I am working on my knitwear collection of sweaters, accessories and knitted jewelry with collaboration of Japanese ceramic artist. The round shapes like pom pons, polka dot patterns and shape of hands like glove/pockets, mittens are incorporated in knitwear. Reaching hands through the globe for collaborations and creativity is a concept of the exhibit. For my jewelry pieces I am using round ceramic tiles for embellishment of knitted bracelets, bags, necklaces.

In this event, I would be very happy to share my work process of creating this collection with textile artists. The knitwear exhibition is taking place in December 2023 in small gallery of Kyoto, Japan. I will post the link to live event on my social media GalinaCarrollDesigns. Next year I would like to bring Japanese textile artists to New York and share their work here with possible collaboration between two countries.

Learn More www.Galinacarroll.com

@galinacarrolldesigns

Galina Carroll Russian/American is a knitwear designer and fiber artist. She has long and cozy relationship with textiles and fiber. Number of years she worked as a freelance and full time sweater designer for companies: Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, Anthropologie, Gap, Abercrombie & Fitch and others. For last 18 years she design for private clients, her store on Etsy and knitting magazines: Vogue Knitting, Rowan, Knit 1, Creative Knitting, Knitters and other publications.

Simone Elizabeth Saunders (she/her) is a textile artist based in Mohkinstsis – Calgary, Canada. She holds a B.F.A. with Distinction from the Alberta University of Arts in 2020. Her textiles are hand tufted in the medium of rug-making using a punch needle and tufting machine. Saunders explores themes of the diaspora, ancestorship, and Black womanhood. Her colorful textiles highlight motifs and iconography from her Jamaican heritage and engage with sociocultural factors reclaiming power from oppressive ideologies. Currently, Saunders is exploring the iconography of the famed high Renaissance era Unicorn Tapestries and Art Nouveau advertising through a contemporary Black feminist lens.

Register for Simone Elizabeth’s Saunder’s talk that will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 at 7 pm Eastern by visiting the American Tapestry Alliance's website. A Zoom link will be included with registration confirmation and a reminder will be sent out at least 24 hours prior to the talk.

Learn More americantapestryalliance.org

@americantapestryalliance

The American Tapestry Alliance (ATA) is engaged in a wide range of educational, exhibition, outreach and promotional programs. Our programs serve to promote contemporary tapestry as an art form, sponsor and develop exhibitions to support contemporary tapestry artists, promote educational opportunities within the tapestry field, and provide a network for tapestry artists.

Join us at Heirloom, where Zach Zaman and team will host artist Emma Welty as part of our Contemporary @ Heirloom series that spotlights local contemporary fiber artists, highlights their process, unique themes, and the ways in which traditional techniques are celebrated and pushed forward.

Emma’s work focuses on the relationship between textiles and language, inherited muscle memory, craft legacies and her identity as an assimilated Armenian American. Her weavings and needlelace will be displayed salon-style amongst a selection of antique Armenian rugs and textiles from Heirloom’s collection and provide a point of departure for a lively discussion and audience Q & A.

Heirloom is a purveyor of rare and unusual rugs that seeks to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of rugs and textiles. By honoring handmade traditions and sustainable practices, Heirloom works to keep this ancient tradition relevant to this generation and the next.

This event will take place on Sep 21, 2023- Armenian Independence day. Emma will also be teaching a needlelace workshop at Heirloom on Oct 21, 2023

Learn More heirloombk.com

@heirloomrugs

Registration is not required.

Heirloom is a purveyor of rare and unusual rugs that seeks to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of rugs and textiles. By honoring handmade traditions and sustainable practices, Heirloom works to keep this ancient tradition relevant to this generation and the next. Our storefront is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at 81 Grand St.

Disability Hacks is a webinar series presented by Intertwine Arts and hosted by Ja’el Batyah and Chiaki O’Brien, that will explore the intersections of disabilities and the textile arts. Our speakers will draw from personal experiences to discuss supports that aid budding weavers with disabilities, as well as highlight the various chronic conditions that people commonly experience within a lifecycle. We will also talk about the creative process, and how it can be built to be accessible from the ground up, to promote everyone’s creativity.

SAORI Artist and studio owner Chiaki O’Brien will present with Ja'el, a weaving artist in the SAORI style and a special guest, to share experiences creating textile art with adults, highlighting the unique aesthetics and creation processes, as well as the adjustments made for the varied disabilities that appear within an adult audience.

Join us for a panel-style discussion exploring the intersections of disability, textiles, and teaching.

Learn More www.intertwinearts.org

The mission of Intertwine Arts is to inspire creativity, joy, and self-confidence through free-form weaving for people of all ages with disabilities or chronic illness.

SLAG & RX is pleased to announce that it will be holding an artist talk featuring three remarkable artists: Chellis Baird, Tamara Kostianovsky, and Naomi Safran-Hon. This event will explore their shared fascination with the realm of textiles and its connection to their art. Each artist will offer insight into their inspiration and techniques.

Chellis Baird, born in the textile-rich city of Spartanburg, South Carolina, began with Mixed Media studies at the Art Students League of New York and then narrowed her focus with a BFA in textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her artistic approach is a captivating fusion of painting, sculpture, and textile work, showcasing her deep fascination with mixed media. Throughout her creative process, she seamlessly combines the elements of construction and destruction. Initially, she weaves the canvas using various fibers, only to later unravel certain sections of the piece. This unique technique allows her to delve into the realm of texture and color, effectively evoking a strong desire for tactical engagement from those who view her artwork.

Tamara Kostianovsky, born in Jerusalem but raised in Buenos Aires, holds a BA in Fine Arts from the National School of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, and an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Tamara Kostianovksy’s textile sculptures connect themes of gender-based violence, ecological destruction, and consumption. Made primarily out of discarded clothing, the work offers environments where lush vegetation and exotic birds burgeon out of hanging carcasses, blending open bodies with flora and fauna in a textile landscape that both stages consumer waste and reimagines it as critical and generative material with the ability to exorcise consumer culture’s detritus.

Naomi Safran-Hon earned a BA at Brandeis University, followed by an MFA at Yale University. Safran-Hon’s thought-provoking artwork centers around the delicate nature of humanity, the concept of home, and individual as well as collective identities. She employs a diverse range of artistic mediums, such as drawing, photography, sculpture, painting, and textiles, to foster a deeper exploration that surpasses superficial observation. Her pieces strive to challenge viewers and engage them in a meaningful dialogue.

In this artist discussion, Baird, Kostianovsky, and Safran-Hon will shed light on their artistic journeys, and processes, as well as their links to textiles.

Learn More slaggallery.com

chellisbaird.com tamarakostianovsky.com/home.html naomisafranhon.com/home.html

Established in 2008, Slag Gallery resides in the heart of Chelsea, supporting its artists through all stages of their careers. Through catalogs, fairs, and exchange programs, Slag elevates emerging and established careers. Since its founding, Slag Gallery’s artists have featured in Biennials, internationally recognized museum exhibitions, and continue to show in prestigious institutions globally. Partnering with RX Paris in 2021 amplified Slag’s global presence and since then has broadened the promotional platform available to the galleries’ artists. Exhibitions at Slag Gallery have been featured in "The New York Times," "Artforum," ARTnews, "Brooklyn Rail, "Artnet News, "Hyperallergic," "The Wall Street Journal," "The Herald News," "Boston Globe," "Le Figaro," "The Art Newspaper," "Two Coats of Paint," "Architectural Digest Spain," "LA Weekly," "Stir World," "Stuttgarter," and many other publications.

Worldwide Weaving Regions: Highlights and Issues is a Round Table Discussion, hosted by COVER in partnership with Label STEP at COVER Connect New York.

Rugs are still handwoven and knotted in many countries and regions, providing retailers and consumers with a rich, diverse and attractive palette of choices. This Round Table Discussion provides a whirlwind world tour through the main handmade rug weaving regions—from Marrakech to Mazar, Kabul to Kathmandu, Hindu Kush to the Himalayas—visiting Anatolia, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on the way. Global trends and challenges will be presented, as well as country specific opportunities and issues. Participants are invited to share their experiences and insights, ask questions of industry insiders and discuss possible joint efforts to promote shared interests.

Learn More thecoverconnect.com/newyork

COVER Connect New York is an annual boutique trade show for high-end rug brands, curated and hosted by COVER magazine, in central Manhattan. Since 2005, COVER has been at the heart of the world of contemporary handmade rugs, serving buyers, architects and interior design professionals across the globe. At COVER Connect New York 2023, COVER will host two Round Table Discussions in partnership with Label STEP: a fair-trade non-profit organisation, founded in Switzerland in 1995, which is committed to the wellbeing of weavers and workers in the handmade carpet industry. Label STEP’s well-established and comprehensive requirements encompass universal human rights, including the prohibition of child labour; safe working conditions; fair wages; and sustainable, eco-friendly production.

Sustainability Goals: The Rug Industry Working Together is a Round Table Discussion, hosted by COVER in partnership with Label STEP at COVER Connect New York.

In many regards the handmade rug industry is well positioned to respond to the demand for eco-friendly, sustainable products. Made using natural fibres, longevity is a key aspect of handmade rugs’ quality and design. However, there can be environmental harm connected to their production. Often, wastewater remains untreated; plastics are used for packaging; and long distances separate production sites and consumer markets, meaning transportation is commonly by air. This Round Table Discussion will present current approaches by Label STEP and stakeholders to minimise their environmental impact, discuss new ideas and identify areas of potential collaboration to create a greener rug industry.

Learn More thecoverconnect.com/newyork

COVER Connect New York is an annual boutique trade show for high-end rug brands, curated and hosted by COVER magazine, in central Manhattan. Since 2005, COVER has been at the heart of the world of contemporary handmade rugs, serving buyers, architects and interior design professionals across the globe. At COVER Connect New York 2023, COVER will host two Round Table Discussions in partnership with Label STEP: a fair-trade non-profit organisation, founded in Switzerland in 1995, which is committed to the wellbeing of weavers and workers in the handmade carpet industry. Label STEP’s well-established and comprehensive requirements encompass universal human rights, including the prohibition of child labour; safe working conditions; fair wages; and sustainable, eco-friendly production.

Stories have always been told at quilting bees: stories of legacy, of resistance, and of community care. This autumn we invite you to join Dr. Sharbreon Plummer and Dr. Jess Bailey as they re-imagine the quilting bee, creating an online space in which to learn about the rich and diverse histories of patchwork in North America while perhaps making your own quilt. Across six lectures featuring a range of writers, researchers, and quilters, you will learn why and how artists in this tradition are so connected to quilt histories. Guests will share their knowledge and experience of topics that are integral to how we understand quilting in the past and in our present such as through a deeper consideration of materials, diaspora, indigenous knowledge, and queering quilt legacies. Participants will leave with a renewed understanding of both the diversity and vitality of quilt histories in passing down artistic traditions. While we hope you will join us for the full duration of the class, you are also welcome to sign up for individual lectures on topics that interest you.

Quilters make in order to know. This virtual quilt history lecturer series would not be complete without an opportunity to both discuss the stories we hear and make more quilts. While enrollment in the People’s Quilting Bee lectures series is unlimited, Dr. Sharbreon Plummer will be guiding an intimate group through the processes of making a quilt while exploring our relationship to materials, storytelling and communal creativity. She will facilitate discussions that blend the heart, mind and hands, showcasing how quilts are a tool for self discovery and archive the beauty of our humanity.