Category: Textiles

  • Rya rugs

    Rya rugs are floor coverings from the Nordic countries but Finland has made them into an art form. The traditions of rya rugs dates to the pre-Viking age and it is believed that these coverings were originally made for fishing boats, keeping fishermen warm in the harsh climate of the North. Later they became part…

  • Cranbrook Art Museum

    The magic power that art has to bring people together was in evidence this week in the studio in Greymouth. The textile studio in Māwhera Greymouth might seem to be a little incongruous. After all, the West Coast of Aotearoa New Zealand is not particularly noted for its textiles, relying instead on the beautiful scenery…

  • Cary Wolinsky – photographer

    Cary Wolinksy was a photographer, well-known for his images that featured in publications like National Geographic and Smithsonian. In 1972 while in India on assignment, Wolinksy met a man in a hotel bar who persuaded the photographer to accompany him to his town, Bhadohi, where carpets are woven. This fortuitous encounter started him on a…

  • Ancient textiles of Peru

    Peruvian textiles have a long and rich history, one that continues today. This article from 1920 comes from The Museum Journal, a publication that was produced by Penn Museum from 1910 to 1935, and it reveals the understanding of Peruvian textiles in the early Twentieth Century. Anni Albers, the famous Bauhaus weaver and artist, credited…

  • Fun with fashion

    Here is a fun thing to do if you are in Dunedin in mid-March. Opening for two hours at a time and presented by the Fashion Department at Otago Polytechnic, you are invited to try on fashion that challenges what it means to dress-up. Any thoughts you might have about trying on these items can…

  • Smarthistory

    The Center for Public Art History, Smarthistory, is an amazing resource for anyone interested in art and culture. Smarthistory was founded by Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, both art historians, in 2005. Their aim was to bring the fascinating histories of art to a wider audience and today there are more than 800…

  • The weave studio in Greymouth

    Recently a journalist visited the studio in Greymouth and this article has just appeared in The Press, a Christchurch Ōtautahi newspaper. It is great publicity to have something like this appear so early on in the studio’s life. Thanks to everyone who has commented and called to send congratulations, and of course to Joanne who…

  • Weaving classes

    Last weekend was the first Beginner Weaving class at the studio in Māwhera Greymouth. This three hour session is going to be run three times a year – the next date is 11th April – and is an introduction to weaving using pre-warped looms and a simple set of instructions. There are only five places…

  • CTANZ

    Context, the magazine from CTANZ, has just been posted out.

  • The Textile Trust, Aotearoa

    The Textile Trust, Aotearoa has just been given its charitable status in New Zealand.