Surface Design Association

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Thinking Through Tapestry is an exhibition organized by the American Tapestry Alliance featuring contemporary artists exploring complex social issues, historical narratives of craft, industrialization, and computation. Artists included in the exhibition explore the tactile manipulation of threads and materials in both experimental and traditional processes to express concepts that range from a meditative place of making to contemplating the role of the weaver as a computational thinker imbedded in a historical framework of material systems. The talk will feature highlights of the exhibition which is on view at the Evanston Art Center from May 30-June 28, 2026." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Join us on Wednesday, May 13th at 2PM EDT for (Un)Seen Labor: Motherhood and Care. What is the value of care? Whose labor is seen, and how does loss impress itself into our bodies? Fiber artists Cassie Arnold and Catherine Reinhart will discuss their artistic practice in relationship to carework, grief, and haptic (hand) practices. From Mom Bras to disassembled baby carriers, this Textile Talk will delve into the interdisciplinary explorations of these two artists as they navigate their identities as artists and mothers." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association​: "Join us on April 15 at 2PM EDT as we celebrate the publication of Quilt of Souls: A Memoir by Phyllis Biffle-Elmore. Quilts have long held the heartbeat of storytelling and the passing down of oral history. Phyllis’ grandmother Lula Young Horn (1883-1988) told her the stories embedded in her Quilts of Souls. As a master quilter – Grandmother Lula only made quilts from the clothing of deceased family members, friends, and neighbors. Each piece of clothing contained stories of how their lives were lived and these quilts carried the stories of their demise.​​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "This panel will revisit the National Basketry Organization’s biennial exhibition, Basketry Now, held this past fall at Textile Center in Minneapolis. The artworks showcased the best in basketry from across the country and included entries from 64 artists, as far away as the UK, Italy, and Australia. Hosted by Emily Dvorin, the panel includes Gyöngy Laky (juror), Carol Eckert and Peeta Tinay. Join us to hear a fascinating discussion about the contemporary world of basketry." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association​: "Join us on February 18 at 2PM EST as we celebrate the winter publication of The Surface Design Journal: Traditions & Persistence. Highlighting makers and writers across Latin America, the journal explores the art practices of one of the “most ethnically diverse areas of the planet.” We’ll hear from Guest Editor, Giannina Coppiano Dwin, artist Lisu Vega, and writer Francine Birbragher. With moderation from SDA artist in residence, Meli Bandera, we’ll explore the materials and motivations behind their work while deepening “our understanding of textile art’s enduring legacy across time and locales.”" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by Surface Design Association​: "This exhibition investigates the many unexplored relationships between craft and technology while demonstrating how contemporary art practice has seamlessly embraced both. Join us on January 21 as Christine Duval, Curator of Cut From the Same Cloth: Textile & Technology, discusses the exhibition’s concept and highlights several featured artists, exploring how their practices— whether rooted in weaving or in digital innovation—intersect in unexpected ways.​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Join us in celebrating the publication of Craft & Craftivism: A Biographical Dictionary of Contemporary Artists in Canada: Volume II Fibres as we hear from editor Shannon Stride and featured artists, Jaime Black-Morsette and Stina Baudin - all of which have made significant contributions to Canadian visual art through their work and the stories they tell." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association (SDA): "Join us in celebrating the publication of Textile Fine Art: Conversations with Artists Creating by Hand as we hear from the author, Helen Adams of the Textile Curator and featured artists, Cayce Zavaglia and Susanna Bauer.​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association (SDA): "Francelise Dawkins is a featured artist in the exhibition "Up to Us: Black Dimensions in Art, 1975–Tomorrow," at the Tang Museum at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. The exhibition celebrates the 50th-anniversary of the New York Capital Region’s longest-running Black arts collective, of which Dawkins has been an active member for two decades. Dawkins will be in conversation with the exhibition’s curator, Rebecca McNamara.​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association​: "Join us as we explore fiber art’s ability to translate and transmutate through research processes. Textile designer and academic, Anne McInnis creates work highlighting the power of inter-generational collaboration in the fashion industry. Bridging the gap between new technologies and lived, professional experience, her work strives to dismantle assumptions around materiality as well as societal impressions of age, appearance, and abilities. Josie Rodriguez and David Steele joined forces to create a physical manifestation of music and translate sound to woven object." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Dive into the details of how to best store, pack, ship, and exhibit textile- and fiber-based work with an eye towards preservation. Curator and Gallery Director lydia see and Textile Conservator Amanda Holden will present on a range of methods, from industry standards to innovative DIY ideas. Regardless of where you are in your artistic career, this talk will provide valuable insight on how you can keep your work safe and exhibition ready for years to come. This event is free and open to the public; registration is required.​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

"Join us for a celebration of our 250th episode of Textile Talks! We'll hear from the directors of our partner organizations: International Quilt Museum, Quilt Alliance, Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), and Surface Design Association. We'll revisit some of our favorite episodes, raffle door prizes, and celebrate 5 years of free textile education.​​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association​: "Held in partnership with Florida CraftArt, Spaces Between explores edges, thresholds, and borders, whether cultural, environmental, psychological, or physical. Highlighting work made with a fibers sensibility—including traditional and cross-disciplinary materials, techniques, and practices, as well as experimental processes and material innovation—juror Akiko Kotani selected 30 artworks from more than 385 submissions that cultivate a deeper understanding of in-between spaces and what it can mean to navigate through and reside within them.​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by The Tang Museum in partnership with Surface Design Association (SDA): "Curator Rebecca McNamara presents on the work of Mexican-American artist Yvette Molina in the two-year, evolving installation Yvette Molina: A Promise to the Leaves at the Tang Museum at Skidmore College. Breaking rules of the traditional gallery, it is both an art installation and a community hangout space that encourages visitors to consider care for the elements, one another, and all living beings as deeply intertwined." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the National Basketry Organization in partnership with the Surface Design Association (SDA): "Year 2003. Carlos Fontales decides to buy a small video camera and travel through some of the most remote villages of the Iberian Peninsula to film the mastery of the old basket makers: an art and a world that fascinates him but that he feels is dying between oblivion and abandonment." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, March 5, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association (SDA): "Hear from SDA Symposium Keynote Speaker, Verónica A. Pèrez, on their work as a community artist and their personal artistic practices. Using textile processes like braiding, weaving, and crocheting, combined with sculptural techniques, as well as unconventional materials such as hair, Pèrez addresses themes of erasure, empathy, and ambiguity as a member of the Puerto Rican diaspora." Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Join us as we celebrate the publication of our winter Surface Design Journal, Friends with Fiber! We’ll hear from artists Andrea Loyer, Maedeh Tafvizi, and Matt Johnson - all of whom experiment beyond the confines of medium to create innovative work that offers new perspectives on fiber. As written by Surface Design Journal Editor, Elizabeth Kozlowski, “Friends with Fiber is really about recognizing the power of fiber when activated by artists' hands.”" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Spanning across media and disciplines, the Surface Design Association (SDA) is proud to present our Spring 2025 online workshop series! Join us as we hear from four of our workshop instructors, Lisa Klaulak on wet felting, Theda Sandiford on incorporating found and upcycled materials into textiles, Maggie Hensel-Brown on lacemaking, and Youngmin Lee on bojagi. Help us celebrate the many techniques and materials used in the field of fiber arts and get a sneak peek at our 2025 workshops!​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association: "Spanning across media and disciplines, the Surface Design Association (SDA) is proud to present our Spring 2025 online workshop series! Join us as we hear from four of our workshop instructors, Jenine Shereos on knotless netting, Erin Fletcher on bookbinding, Radha Pandey on papermaking and encaustics, and Robin L. Bernstein on yarn painting. Help us celebrate the many techniques and materials used in the field of fiber arts and get a sneak peek at our 2025 workshops! Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 2 PM EDT.

Presented by the Surface Design Association​: "For some, the universal themes of memory, trauma, and suffering inspire work that considers how we mourn and memorialize our dead. Through stitches, color, textures, and shapes, we give voice to and honor those whose lives were cut short. Join us for Dignifying the Dead: Memorialization through Fiber Art with Caren Garfen, Robin Bernstein, and Mirka Knaster - three fiber artists who translate memory and loss into physical objects, giving voice to individuals for whom no physical memorial may exist.​" Register today and watch when this episode airs this Wednesday, September 25, 2024, at 2 PM EDT.