TEXTILE CENTER OF MINNESOTA
3000 UNIVERSITY AVE SE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55414 textilecentermn.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TEXTILE CENTER'S MISSION IS TO HONOR TEXTILE TRADITIONS, PROMOTE EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION, AND INSPIRE WIDESPREAD PARTICIPATION IN FIBER ART.

RECOGNIZED AS A UNIQUE NATIONAL CENTER FOR FIBER ART, TEXTILE CENTER CELEBRATED ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY THROUGHOUT FY20. FOUNDED IN 1994, TEXTILE CENTER WELCOMES MORE THAN 20,000 VISITORS EACH YEAR. WE EMBRACE ALL FORMS OF FIBER ART INCLUDING WEAVING, QUILTING, KNITTING, SEWING, DYEING, FELTING, NEEDLEWORK, LACE MAKING, BEADING, SCULPTURE, INSTALLATION, SOFT SCULPTURE, AND MULTI-MEDIA PIECES.EXHIBITS AND CLASSES ADDRESS A VARIETY OF INTERESTS, RANGING FROM THE MUSIC OF PRINCE TO ECO-SUSTAINABILITY. ALL FIBER ARTS DISCIPLINES ARE OFFERED AND RANGE FROM INTRODUCTORY CLASSES FOR THE CURIOUS TO EXHIBITS OF WORKS BY MASTER ARTISTS. PROGRAMMING IS OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE METRO, AND STATEWIDE BY OUR MEMBER GUILDS.DURING FY20, MORE THAN 135 WORKSHOPS ENABLED OVER 1,200 INDIVIDUALS TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMMING TO DEVELOP AS ARTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS. WORKSHOPS UTILIZE OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART DYE LAB, AND HELP ARTISTS LEARN EQUIPMENT, APPLICATIONS, AND ONLINE RESOURCES TO CREATE, DOCUMENT, AND SELL FIBER ARTWORK. WORKSHOPS ALSO FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE AND DESIGN IN AREAS INCLUDING SURFACE DESIGN, FELTING, LEATHER WORKING, SEWING, STITCHING, RUG HOOKING, NATURAL DYEING, SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, 3D TEXTILE TECHNIQUES, AND MIXED MEDIA. TEXTILE CENTER IS ONE OF 16 MINNESOTA NONPROFITS SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE IN AROHA PHILANTHROPIES' SEEDING VITALITY ARTS MN PROGRAM TO SUPPORT CREATIVE AGING. OUR OLDER ADULT CLASSES WERE DEVELOPED WITH LIFETIME ARTS, A LEADING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDER IN THE DESIGN OF CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS, AND FULLY ENROLLED WITH WAITING LISTS.THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HIT MINNESOTA THE FINAL MONTH OF FY20, WHICH FORCED THE CLOSING OF TEXTILE CENTER FOR MOST OF MARCH. NEVERTHELESS, REVENUE AND ATTENDANCE REMAINED STRONG FOR THE YEAR. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, A TOTAL OF 40 EMERGING MINNESOTA ARTISTS HAVE RECEIVED GRANTS AND MENTORSHIP THROUGH OUR JEROME FIBER ARTIST GRANT PROGRAM, CULMINATING IN PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS. THESE GRANTS AND THE RESULTING WORK ARE STEPPINGSTONES TO MINNESOTA STATE ARTS BOARD GRANTS, TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES, RESIDENCIES, AND OTHER FELLOWSHIP AND GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. THE PORTFOLIOS AND SUPPORT MATERIALS THEY DEVELOP THROUGH THIS PROGRAM ENABLE THEM TO ENTER COMPETITIONS AND APPLY FOR EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. REFLECTING THE FACT THAT FIBER ARTS ARE THE LEADING FORM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION FOR MINNESOTANS (AS REPORTED BY MINNESOTA COMPASS), THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION SELECTED TEXTILE CENTER AS ITS PARTNER TO EXPAND THE MCKNIGHT ARTIST FELLOWSHIPS PROGRAM TO THE FIBER ARTS. THE FIRST TWO FELLOWSHIPS WERE AWARDED IN JANUARY 2020 TO TWO MIDCAREER FIBER ARTISTS LIVING AND WORKING IN MINNESOTA. IN ADDITION TO THE CASH AWARDS, FIBER ARTS FELLOWS PARTICIPATE IN EXHIBITIONS AT THE CENTER, NATIONAL FIBER ART CONFERENCES AND OTHER EVENTS, STUDIO VISITS, CRITIQUES, AND PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS WITH NATIONALLY RENOWNED CRITICS AND CURATORS. FELLOWS WILL ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE TEXTILE CENTER'S STAFF EXPERTISE AND NETWORKS, RETAIL SHOP, STATE-OF-THE-ART DYE LAB, AND LIBRARY OF MORE THAN 31,500 BOOKS AND PERIODICALS.IN COLLABORATION WITH REGIONAL LIBRARIES, TEXTILE CENTER OFFERED 112 FREE FIBER ARTS EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS THROUGHOUT MINNESOTA. DURING FY20, 375 YOUTH AND 657 ADULTS PARTICIPATED IN ARTMAKING EXPERIENCES THROUGH OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMMING. TEXTILE CENTER OFFERS A WIDE VARIETY OF PROGRAMMING TO EDUCATE, ENCOURAGE, AND SUPPORT THE NEXT GENERATION OF TEXTILE ARTISTS. THESE RANGE FROM SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS TO SUMMER CAMPS, AND INCLUDE CAREER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OUR STEPUP INTERNSHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH TARGET AND THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. WITH NORTHERN CLAY CENTER, FILMNORTH, HIGHPOINT CENTER FOR PRINTMAKING, AND MINNESOTA CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS WE OFFER YOUTH EXPLORATIONS OF CLAY, BOOK MAKING, TEXTILES, FILMMAKING, AND PRINTMAKING THROUGH 2 WEEKLONG CAMPS EACH SUMMER.OUR YOUTH FIBER ART GUILD IS OUR ACADEMIC YEAR PROGRAM THAT BRINGS TEACHING ARTISTS AND MATERIALS TO LOWER-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGHOUT THE TWIN CITIES, AND IS OFFERED ON-SITE AT PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN YOUTH CENTER (NORTH MINNEAPOLIS), LUXTON LEARNERS (GLENDALE PUBLIC HOUSING), THE DIVISION OF INDIAN WORK (SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS), AND INDIGENOUS ROOTS (ST. PAUL). DURING FY20, 24 MONTHLY MEETINGS OF THE YOUTH FIBER ART GUILD WERE HELD AT OUR PARTNER SITES. DURING FY20, OVER 700 CHILDREN AND TEENS PARTICIPATED IN OUR YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMING. TEXTILE CENTER PRESENTS MORE THAN 20 EXHIBITIONS PER YEAR IN ITS FOUR GALLERIES - THE JOAN MONDALE GALLERY, STUDIO GALLERY, COMMUNITY GALLERY, AND LIBRARY GALLERY. THESE SHOWS, WHICH GENERALLY RUN IN TWO-MONTH CYCLES, ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SIX DAYS A WEEK. SHOWCASING MASTERY IN TECHNIQUE AND INNOVATIONS IN FIBER ART, EXHIBITIONS AT TEXTILE CENTER ARE VIEWED BY THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. OUR SHOP AND GALLERIES OFFER PUBLIC OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET ARTISTS VIA DEMONSTRATIONS, TRUNK SHOWS, AND EXHIBITS. WE ALSO MENTOR ARTISTS ON BUSINESS PRACTICES. EXHIBITIONS THIS YEAR FEATURED A DIVERSE RANGE OF ARTISTS. IN FY20 WE PRESENTED 27 EXHIBITIONS, FEATURING 237 ARTISTS. NEARLY $16,000 IN ART WAS SOLD THROUGH THESE EXHIBITIONS.TO FOSTER FIBER ARTS APPRECIATION AND ENTREPRENEURISM, OUR SHOP OFFERS THE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET ARTISTS VIA DEMONSTRATIONS, TRUNK SHOWS, AND EXHIBITS. WE ALSO MENTOR EXHIBITING AND CONSIGNMENT ARTISTS ON BUSINESS PRACTICES, AND PAYMENTS TO OUR 109 SHOP ARTISTS FROM SALES TOTALED $79,661 DURING FY20. OUR PAT O'CONNOR LIBRARY IS A SINGULAR RESOURCE FOR INVENTIVENESS AND INNOVATION WITH NEARLY 32,000 BOOKS AND PERIODICALS AND IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CIRCULATING COLLECTIONS ON FIBER ART IN THE NATION, SERVING 4,500 PEOPLE ANNUALLY. OUR LIBRARY WAS SUPPORTED BY OVER 850 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE.NEW IN FY20, TEXTILE CENTER HOSTED THREE INTERNATIONAL TOURS HIGHLIGHTING THE FIBER ART, TEXTILES, AND CULTURES OF INDIA, JAPAN, AND MOROCCO. OUR TOUR OF INDIA FEATURED VISITS TO ARTISAN STUDIOS, WITH SEVERAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES SUCH AS BLOCK PRINTING AND NATURAL DYEING, WHILE OUR MOROCCO TOUR WAS LED BY ANTHROPOLOGIST AND MOROCCAN TEXTILE EXPERT DR. SUSAN SCHAEFER DAVIS, AUTHOR OF THE NEWLY RELEASED BOOK WOMEN ARTISANS OF MOROCCO: THEIR STORIES, THEIR LIVES. IN JAPAN, WE VISITED THE TOMIOKA SILK MILL (UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE) AND A 300-YEAR-OLD KOIWAI WEAVING STUDIO IN UEDA, AMONG OTHER IMPORTANT JAPANESE FIBER ARTS SITES. FORTY-FIVE FIBER ARTISTS AND PATRONS PARTICIPATED IN OUR INTERNATIONAL TOURS. IN ADDITION, 26 ARTISTS AND PATRONS JOINED US FOR A WEEKEND AT THE SANTA FE INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET.

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