The Textile Museum

Calendar

The Textile Museum presents a variety of lectures, workshops, seminars and demonstrations throughout the year. Regular programs include Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings, informal sessions on a wide variety of topics led by experts in the field, Ask-a-Curator, Ask-a-Conservator and Family First Saturdays. Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings are held most Saturdays at 10:30 am and are free with no registration required. Ask-a-Curator, Ask-a-Conservator are held the first Wednesday of each month (September through May) from 10:30 am to 1 pm. The program is free for Museum members and $5 for non-members. Family First Saturdays, held the first Saturday of each month (unless otherwise noted) are free with no reservations required. Other programs may require registration. Click here for a registration form. Below is a schedule of these programs and others. For more information call the Education Department at (202) 667-0441, ext. 64.

May • June

Updated 5/1/08

May

1
BLUE Lecture Series: "Transforming Blue: From Seed to Dye, Indigo in Contemporary Japan"
Rowland Ricketts, III, Artist
Thursday, 6:30 pm
FULL PROGRAM

About the series: Join us for an exploration of the color blue in the textile arts, from the history of indigo dyeing to your favorite pair of jeans. This lecture series complements the exhibition BLUE. Fee per lecture: $5/members; $8/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or
click here for a registration form.

3
Rug & Textile Appreciation Morning: "Nomadic and Workshop Weavings from Fars Province in Iran"
Tom Cook
Saturday, 10:30 am

Join collector Tom Cook for a discussion of textiles from Fars Province in Iran. The audience is invited to bring clean, well-vacuumed examples related to the title of the program. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. FREE; no reservations required.

3
Family First Saturday: "Blue Jeans"
Saturday, 2–4 pm

Learn why your denim jeans are called "blue jeans" and examine Levi Strauss jeans from different eras. Wear your favorite pair of jeans and receive a free bookmark (while supplies last). Inspired by the exhibition BLUE, decorate your own jeans or make another blue textile. FREE; no reservations required.

7
New Title, Same Program! Ask-a-Curator, Ask-a-Conservator
Wednesday, 10:30 am – 1 pm

Learn more about your textiles from TM curatorial and conservation staff. While TM curators specialize in the textile arts of non-Western cultures, the conservation staff can answer questions about caring for textiles produced worldwide.
Fee: free/members; $5/non-members. No reservations are required.

7
Music Program: "A Night of Andean Music"
Wednesday, 6:30 pm

Celebrate Andean culture and arts with the music of RAYMI, whose traditional instruments such as zampoñas, mosceños, quenas and tarkas reflect the band’s passion for its South American roots. Take a look at the exhibition The Finishing Touch: Accessories from the Bolivian Highlands, where docents are on hand to answer your questions. Enjoy wine, beer and light refreshments.
Fee: $10/members; $15/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667–0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

11
Mother's Day Program and Tea: "The Language and Secrets of Wearing Japanese Kimono"
Ann Marie Moeller and Norie Watanuki
Sunday, 1:30 pm

Treat your okasan* to an elegant afternoon of Japanese culture and tea. Ann Marie Moeller, collector and historian of traditional Japanese textiles, and Norie Watanuki, certified kimono dresser, discuss the complexity of selecting a kimono and obi and the messages conveyed by the choices. They also demonstrate how to wear a kimono and explain the hidden accessories used to create the elegant final effect. The program is followed by afternoon tea. Fee: $30/members; $40/non-members. Advance registration required; limited to 40 participants.
Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

*Okasan is the Japanese word for mother.

15
BLUE Lecture Series: "Indigo Immortal: The History and Global Culture of Levi's Jeans"
Lynn Downey, Historian, Levi Strauss and Company
Thursday, 6:30 pm

17
Special Workshop: "Batik Techniques"
Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam
Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
FULL PROGRAM

Batik is an ancient wax resist technique which has been used to decorate cloth since antiquity. In this special workshop, learn about the hand and stamp methods and complete several small batik pieces. Instructors Agus Ismoyo and Nia Fliam founded the Brahma Tirta Sari Batik Studio in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1985. Today their studio is considered the leading center of contemporary fine art batik in Indonesia and has an international reputation for innovative work. Fee: $60/members; $70/non-members. Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

22
BLUE Lecture Series: "Indigo: A Personal Journey"
Hiroyuki Shindo, Artist and Mary Lance, Filmmaker
Thursday, 6:30 pm
FULL PROGRAM

26
Memorial Day: Museum Closed

31
Rug & Textile Appreciation Morning: "Have You Got the Blues? Blue Dyes in Textiles"
Jeffrey Krauss and R. John Howe
Saturday, 10:30 am

Collectors Jeffrey Krauss and R. John Howe lead a lively program on blue textiles from around the world. The audience is invited to bring clean, well-vacuumed examples related to the title of the program. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. FREE; no reservations required.

June

7 – 8
30th Anniversary Celebration of Textiles
Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday, 1-5 pm

Join us for the 30th anniversary of Celebration of Textiles, a family festival of hands-on fun and learning at The Textile Museum. Visitors of all ages are invited to explore the textile arts and cultures of the world through a multitude of activities and demonstrations in the Museum's historic buildings, exhibitions and garden. Join fiber artists from Springwater Fiber Workshop and other local organizations to experience weaving, knitting, rug restoration, dyeing and much more. Watch sheep-shearing (weather permitting) and try your hand at spinning their wool into yarn. Learn about natural dyes and create a blue-dyed textile, inspired by the exhibition BLUE. On Saturday, hear a bluegrass musical performance by Blue Daze. On Sunday, enjoy traditional Andean music and dance with RAYMI. Refreshments are available for purchase.

A slightly different selection of demonstrations and hands-on activities will be available on Sunday. For detailed information, click here.

FREE; no reservations required.

Celebration of Textiles is part of the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium's Museum Walk Weekend.

12
Lunchtime Gallery Talk: "Southeast Asian Textiles"
Mattiebelle Gittinger, Research Associate, Southeast Asian Textiles
Thursday, 12 pm
FREE; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.

14
Special Excursion: "LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton, NY "
Saturday, 8:30 am - 6:30 pm

Join fellow textile enthusiasts for a day-long excursion to LongHouse Reserve, home of renowned textile designer Jack Lenor Larsen. In 2005, Larsen was awarded the The Textile Museum's inaugural George Hewitt Myers Award for lifetime achievement in the textile arts. Located in East Hampton, NY, LongHouse is inspired by the famous Japanese shrine at Ise and exemplifies living with art in all its forms. During the visit enjoy 16 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens with plant collections and outdoor sculpture as well as a tour of LongHouse lead by Mr. Larsen. Don't miss an opportunity to visit this spectacular location at its loveliest!

Fee: $160*/members; $195*/non-members (includes a one year TM membership). Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or click here for a registration form.

*Tour fee includes transportation between midtown Manhattan and East Hampton by motor coach, lunch, refreshments, driver gratuity and admission.
Transportation to and from Manhattan and any lodging that may be necessary are not included.

19
Lunchtime Gallery Talk: "Blue Through an Artist's Eyes"
Hillary Steel, Artist
Thursday, 12 pm
FREE; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.

21
Rug & Textile Appreciation Morning:
"A Samurai's 'Business Suit': Blue Textiles in Japan and their
Social Messages"
Ann Marie Moeller
Saturday, 10:30 am

Textile expert Ann Marie Moeller guides attendees on the social messages embedded within Japanese textiles. The audience is invited to bring clean, well-vacuumed examples related to the title of the program. Seating is limited, so please arrive early. FREE; no reservations required.

26
Lunchtime Gallery Talk: "Chinese and Japanese Textiles"
Lee Talbot, Assistant Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Collections
Thursday, 12 pm
FREE; no reservations required. Limited to 35 participants.

For programs that require registration, please mail or fax a registration form with payment to The Textile Museum, 2320 S Street NW, Washington DC 20008, attn: Education; fax: (202) 483-0994. The registration form is available in Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (.pdf). You will need the Acrobat Reader program or Netscape plug-in in order to view and print this form. The Acrobat Reader is available free on Adobe's Web site.

Download a registration form here

Download Acrobat Reader from Adobe's web site here