About Us

Our History

Our fiber tribe turns 36 this year with nearly 4000 members worldwide. Whether you joined us in the 70s or have been driven by your love of textiles to join us since, learn more about significant milestones in our on-going contributions to the evolution of textile arts.

Our Board & Staff

Our Board of Directors and Staff are recruited from our multi-talented membership base. With diverse backgrounds ranging from arts education to fashion design to grant writing to information technology, they contribute their vision, passion, and expertise to build the thinking person's textile arts organization.

Our Vision

To inspire creativity, encourage innovation and advocate for artistic excellence as the global leader in textile-inspired art and design.

From SAQA/SDA Joint Conference: Identity 2012. Members of the conference student contingent decipher a piece by Orly Cogan.

Our Mission

To promote awareness and appreciation of textile-inspired art and design through member-supported benefits including publications, exhibitions and conferences.

Our Goals

To provide opportunities for learning,
collaboration and meaningful affiliations
To mentor and support emerging artists, designers and students
To inform members about the latest developments and innovations in the field
To recognize the accomplishments of our members
To encourage critical dialogue about our field
To inspire new directions in fiber and textiles
To raise the visibility of textiles in the contemporary art world

SDA Buzz

Get your daily fiber fix below.
Send your textile arts news to:
SDAbuzz [at] surfacedesign [dot] org

Check out this "intriguing alliance of textile innovation, high fashion & art" now on in Paris through July 14.

Futurotextiles
www.coolhunting.com
Fabric grown from wine, wooden textiles, strawberry lace and more

Surface_Design: Exhibition of Emily Richardson Fiber work at @LaSalleUniv http://t.co/9y1Y6uvVsM

Yong Ho Ji re-purposes used tires to sculpt striking animal forms:

http://yonghoji.com/db/index.php?%2Fomnivorous%2Fbear%2F
yonghoji.com

Surface_Design: Barbara Shapiro will be teaching A Greener Indigo at @OLLISFState June, 2013. http://t.co/WQvc22DzqR

See work of Fiber ForeMother Ruth Asawa at Christie's NYC until 5/31. Learn about her, here:

Dream Weaver
observatory.designobserver.com
Retrospective of this mid-century sculptor is her first solo show in New York in 50 years.

Artists/Designers from around the world are invited to submit works of "art/wear" for this ab/fab fashion show. Deadline is August 23.

Jack Millikin Centre - Saskatchewan Wearable Art Gala 2013
jackmillikincentre.com

Craft & Folk Art Museum (LA) has been yarn-bombed with 8000 granny squares from around the world!

Cover Photos
#cafamgrannysquared

Surface_Design: Anna Carlsons' Designing the Self: Patterns of Order and Disruption at Gallery 1639 in St. Paul. http://t.co/tHiKJRCJGl

Planning a trip to NYC this summer? Go see Punk get romanticized at the MET:

PUNK: Chaos to Couture
www.metmuseum.org

Surface_Design: Kathy Weaver will be teaching at @Arrowmont in the beautiful Smokies Sept 29-Oct 5. http://t.co/Pbgdj6bHck

Russia-born Olga Elman is now a Texan & creator of Tioli Girl ab/fab felted fashion. Get your hands on it at our upcoming conference in San Antonio!

Tioli
tioligirl.com

Tasha Lewis (IN) transforms public spaces with magnetized cyanotype butterflies, here:

Guerilla Sculpture
guerillasculpture.tumblr.com

SURTEX - the annual art & design sales event (MAY in NYC) tapped past SDA President Jason Pollen to judge 2013 designext competition for emerging textile designers. Check out his comments on the process on his blog, here:

Jason's Planet
jasonpollen.blogspot.com

Naomi Wanjiku Gakunga's solo show at Southwest School of Art (during SDA's upcoming conference in San Antonio) gets a shout out on local PBS channel, here:

Watch now: ARTS | KLRN Video
A local artist uses modern materials to weave creations representative of her roots.

Surface_Design: Virginia/West Virginia SDA Regional Exhibit at Craddock-Terry Gallery, Riverviews Artspace. http://t.co/09MReg5GsE

Another big fiber moment, happening now:

Orly Genger in Madison Square Park / NYC
www.nytimes.com
Orly Genger, an artist who deploys masses of rope in eye-popping ways, has created an installation of 3 enclosures for Madison Square Park.

Surface_Design: Line by Line: Drawing Explored at Detroit Artists Market now to May 24 featuring http://t.co/YJzOr7HL0Z

Judy Pfaff, renowned artist & professor at Bard College (NY), has been elected into American Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Big score for use + visibility of textile mixed media...

Judy Pfaff Studio
www.judypfaffstudio.com

Surface_Design: MARILYN HENRION "The Evolution of A Fiber Artist" Now available on DVD! http://t.co/cCPIGw6mKF

Now on SDA NewsBlog:

In the Loop 3: Knitters Unite in UK
www.surfacedesign.org
Whether or not you use looping techniques to express your ideas, you'll enjoy this glimpse of those who do. Let knitter Adrienne Sloane take you to a recent international confab in the UK, where she encountered lots of local color - along with some knitting royalty.

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