The Textile Museum

Calendar

The Textile Museum presents a variety of lectures, workshops, seminars and demonstrations throughout the year.

Regular Programs:

Registering for a Program
For programs that require registration, please call the Education Department at
(202) 667-0441, ext. 64.

School and Adult Tours
To schedule a tour, call (202) 667-0441, ext. 65 or submit your request online at least four weeks in advance. For adult groups, click here. For school groups, click here.

May • June

May
Wed 1		ASK A CURATOR, ASK A CONSERVATOR Wednesday, May 1, 10:30 AM–1 PM Curious about a rug or textile you purchased while traveling or that you’ve recently inherited? Looking for advice on how to properly store and display your pieces? Drop in to learn about your objects from Textile Museum curatorial and conservation staff. Please note that TM curators specialize in traditional textiles from non-western cultures, but conservation staff can answer questions about caring for textiles produced worldwide. This recurring program will resume on the first Wednesday of the month in September. Fee: free/members; $5/non-members. No reservations are required.

Sat 4		RUG & TEXTILE APPRECIATION MORNING The Appeal of the Persian Saruk Saturday, May 4, 10:30 AM Collector Colin England will discuss the beautiful rugs and carpets from the Arak area of northwest Persia, which became favorites of collectors in the late-nineteenth century. Free; no reservations required. Learn more about RTAM programs.

Sat 4		ARTS FOR FAMILIES Tree of Life Magnets Saturday, May 4, 2–4 PM The tree of life, symbolizing the universe and all of the creatures that inhabit it, is a common motif in the arts of Southeast Asia and across the world. Adorn your own felt tree of life with simple embroidery stitches and colorful thread. Free; no reservations required.

Sat 11		RUG & TEXTILE APPRECIATION MORNING Exhibiting a Sultan’s Garden Saturday, May 11, 10:30 AM Sumru Belger Krody, senior curator of eastern hemisphere collections, will offer a behind-the- scenes perspective on the development of the museum’s recent exhibition The Sultan’s Garden: The Blossoming of Ottoman Art. Free; no reservations required. Learn more about RTAM programs.

Wed 15		GALLERY TALK Getting to the Heart of Southeast Asia Wednesday, May 15, 12 PM Mattiebelle Gittinger, research associate and curator for Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains. Free; no reservations required.

Sat 18		RUG & TEXTILE APPRECIATION MORNING Establishing the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles Saturday, May 18, 10:30 AM Conservation and preservation expert Julia Brennan describes the highlights and challenges of this multi-year effort to open the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles Conservation Center, including the preparation of over one hundred textiles for the museum’s inaugural exhibitions in 2012. The previously scheduled lecture on Himalayan Textiles with Diana Myers has been postponed indefinitely.

Sat 18		SPECIAL PROGRAM Yoga in the Garden Saturday, May 18, 11 AM This program is now full, and registration has closed. Bring your yoga mat to The Textile Museum’s spring gardens for a 75-minute class led by Washington, D.C.’s Hari-kirtana das. Beginners and experienced yogis alike are welcome to join this class, which will include a little Sanskrit chanting, a word or two about the philosophy of yoga, fluid transitions from one yoga pose to another, and a short meditation before a final relaxation. Linger after class for a cup of tea and for a docent-led tour of the exhibition Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains. Hari-kirtana has made yoga his life-long pursuit, and is a certified teacher with the Yoga Alliance and Jivamukti Yoga. Suggested donation of $10. To ensure you have a spot in class, call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 or email info@textilemuseum.org. Depending on the popularity of this program, walk-ins may not be accommodated. Weather permitting.

Sun 19		LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION Continuous Threads of the Maya Weaver Sunday, May 19, 2 PM In the course of the last century, Mayan textiles have changed—influenced by increased global exposure, fluctuating political, economic, and fashion climates, and a range of other factors. Textile collector Yolanda Alcorta will present a timeline of Mayan weaving traditions, demonstrating techniques and discussing ways in which dynamics of style have endured and evolved over time. Joining Alcorta is Sheba Velasco, a master Maya-Ixil weaver, who will discuss her craft through time and place. Participants are encouraged to bring a favorite textile from their personal collections to the program, which will also explore opportunities for integrating themes of cultural diversity, identity, and temporal relationships into classroom curriculums. Free: no reservations required, space is limited. This program is presented in partnership with the International Hajji Baba Society.

Wed 22		FILM Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey Volume 2, Dance of the Warriors Wednesday, May 22, 12 PM The film makers sail to Komodo and film the giant, carnivorous lizards of "Dragon Island," whose tiny human population is descended from the people banished by the neighboring sultans of Bima On the island of Sumba, they witness a veiled form of human sacrifice by equestrian warriors. Master weavers of magical textiles, the Sumbanese still live by ancient beliefs, ritually keeping the balance between the Merapu gods of the sky above, and Nyali, the Sea Goddess, of the world below. The brothers journey 50,000 years into the past to live with Asmat headhunters in New Guinea. They eventually reach Bali where they build a home in a village of farmers, artists and mystics. (Produced by Mystic Fire Video, 1988, 60 minutes.) Free; no reservations required.

Thurs 23		PM @ The TM Spring "Staycation!" Thursday, May 23, 6–9 pm Dance performance begins at 7 pm For everyone ready to step outside and enjoy spring, visit The Textile Museum to experience the arts, flavors, and sounds of Southeast Asia. Santi Budaya Dance Troupe will perform traditional dances from across Indonesia in lavish costumes with live musical accompaniment by the music director of the Embassy of Indonesia. Make a batik postcard to send to your friends back home, and after sipping a drink in the museum’s lush gardens, venture into the galleries to “sightsee” the textile arts of Laos and Indonesia. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket for the garden; drinks and food by Satay Sarinah Indonesian Restaurant will be available for sale. Fee: $15 (includes one free drink ticket, two for TM members). Tickets on sale now! Buy in advance online or at the door.

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June
Sat-Sun 1-2		35TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF TEXTILES Saturday, June 1, 10 AM–4 PM Saturday, June 2, 1–5 PM This free, annual two-day festival celebrates all things textile. Enjoy the festival’s offerings in the beautiful S Street gardens: live sheep shearing (weather permitting), demonstrations by textile guilds from across the region, hands-on art activities for visitors of all ages, and performances of traditional Southeast Asian music and dance. Explore the exhibition Out of Southeast Asia: Art That Sustains and see student’s textile art projects created during the 2013 Museum-School Partnership and The TM’s collaboration with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington. Further details will be announced online at www.textilemuseum.org. All ages welcome. Free; no reservations required. Funded in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.Celebration of Textiles is part of the Museum Walk Weekend, organized by the Dupont- Kalorama Museums Consortium; visit www.dkmuseum.org for more information. Media sponsor: The Washington Examiner.

Sat 8		RUG & TEXTILE APPRECIATION MORNING Textiles from the South Balkans Saturday, June 8, 10:30 AM Collectors Tim and Penny Hays show and discuss the kilims, rugs, and other textiles of western Anatolia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Macedonia made by a variety of ethnic groups, including Christians, Muhajir, and Pomaks. Free; no reservations required. Learn more about RTAM programs.

		WORKSHOP Quarterly Knitting Circle: Knit in Public Day Saturday, June 8, 2–4 PM Bring your needles and knitting or crochet projects to The Textile Museum! Find new inspiration in our galleries and work on your latest yarn creation while meeting other local fiber enthusiasts. Show you support for the international knitting community by participating in Knit in Public Day. All levels welcome. Free; no reservations required. Knitting Circles are organized in part by afghans for Afghans.

Wed 12		GALLERY TALK Displaying Southeast Asian Textiles Wednesday, June 12, 12 PM Maria Fusco, associate conservator. Free; no reservations required.

Fri 14		LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION Japanese Kumihimo and Traditional Colors Friday, June 14, 2–4 PM Join master-artist Hoko Tokoro for a lecture and demonstration (translated from Japanese) on the traditional art of Japanese braiding, kumhimo, and fabric dyeing, kusakizome. Kumihimo is a Japanese technique for making a complex multi-strand braid, used to tie together a samurai warrior’s traditional armor. Kusakizome are fabrics dyed with plant juices extracted from flowers, leaves, stems, and roots, resulting in a soft, subtle color contrast. Free; no reservations required; space is limited. This program is presented in partnership with the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC.

Wed 19		FILM Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey Volume 3, East of Krakatoa Wednesday, June 19, 12 PM In the shadow of Java's constantly erupting volcanoes, the film makers descend from the crater of the newly erupted "Child of Krakatoa" and encounter a world of medieval courts, mystical shadow puppet plays, forgers of magical swords, healers with supernatural powers and whole communities ruled by the powerful "Spirit of the South Seas." Back in Bali, they meet such sages as the master artist Nyoman Lempad, who was to die a conscious death on the day of his choosing at the age of 116. And among the Toraja people of the Celebes highlands, they share in the massive funeral rites of the last king of the tribe which believes its ancestors came from the stars in sky ships. (Produced by Mystic Fire Video, 1988, 60 minutes.) Free; no reservations required.

Thurs 20		LECTURE Bringing Art into Life Through Batik in the West Thursday, June 20, 6 PM Introduced to the wider world by the Dutch and exhibitions at world fairs, batik entered western practice in the late-nineteenth century. Dr. Abby Lillethun, associate professor at Montclair State University, will trace the emergence of batik in the west through the Arts and Crafts Movement and the avant-garde. With the credo to “bring art into life,” these movements led to an array of practitioners whose roles and relationships with batik will be portrayed in the lecture. Fee: $20/members; $25/non-members (includes refreshments). Advance registration required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register.