You’ll want to register now – whether or not your art practice embraces social issues – to be in the company of these paradigm-shifting Made/Aware presenters & program at Arrowmont in October. Be counted among the movers, shakers & makers who use their work to “be the change” they want to see in the world……

Let artist Barbara Shapiro take you along on her recent search for the pulse of contemporary French textile arts. Get hots tips for planning your own Francophile textile travel while getting an overview of the who’s who in French fiber via this stunning photo essay – exclusively for SDA NewsBlog. …

At almost 100 years old, the Textile Museum in Washington DC has a new home on the campus of George Washington University! If you couldn’t be there for the gala opening, let former SDA President Candace Edgerley show you the many splendors of the new facility and inaugural exhibition. You’ll want to add a visit there to your plans for textile travel……

Unravel the fascinating trend of “unweaving” to create new forms and the energizing influence of technology on the fiber field, from laser cutting and digital design to time arts and social media….

Want easy access to outstanding information on fashion & textile arts? You don’t have to live in Minneapolis, Minnesota to take advantage of the Textile Center Library. With 27,000 fiber-focused books + 40 periodical subscriptions, this library was included in American Craft Council’s 10 Must-See Craft Resource Collections. Find out how you can take advantage of this rich resource, here….

Stephen Blumrich volunteered to be on the “newsletter committee” of the fledgling Surface Design Association in 1976. His guidance as first managing editor – then editor until 1988 – put Surface Design Journal on the path to becoming the thought leader in textile arts magazines that it is today. Find out more about his work and unique contribution to early SDA history in this exclusive tribute….

SDA member Laurie Wohl won an SDA Personal Development Grant for travel to Spain to explore the intersections of Jewish, Christian and Islamic culture that inform her work. See that work – and the signature (and trademarked!) mixed media process she calls “unweaving” – in this exclusive story in her own words….

Poorly lit photographs in unprofessional settings can kill your chances of getting your work selected for a show – like SDA’s upcoming “Materialities” catalog & exhibition opportunity. Do you understanding how to correctly size and format images to meet submission requirements? Use this illustrated list of dos & don’ts to make sure your entries get seen. Digital Diva LM Wood shows how….

Kaneko – an awesome artspace in Omaha, NE – is all about FIBER right now. Let artist Jay Rich show you around an enticing group of exhibitions, talks and workshops with a textile arts focus – on throughout March and April, 2015. You’ll want to make it an inspiration destination!…

Silk Painters International (SPIN) 2014 biannual conference in Santa Fe (NM) started with freakish weather during Jane Dunnewold’s keynote and ended with an Elvis impersonator. In between, there were talks, an abundance of workshops and exhibitions – plus a fashion show. Let batik artist Muffy Clark Gill take you there!…