The Bay Area Forum for artists, Textile Arts Council aficionados & collectors of weaving, rugs & tapestries, baskets, costume & wearable art September 2013 Upcoming Programs and Announcements Unless otherwise indicated*, all programs are held in the Koret Auditorium at the de Young Museum in Volume XXVIII, Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Drive, San Francisco. Admission to the programs is FREE to TAC Number 3 members, $10 for non-members, and $5 for FAMSF members and students with I.D. No additional Museum admission fee is necessary. You may enter from the garage level or the main floor entrance between the main and side doors to the Museum. (*alternate location, when indicated, is the Legion of Honor Museum, 34th Ave & Clement St., San Francisco.) Saturday, September 14, 2013, 10 a.m. Dale’s work continued in a management and FROM THE GROUND UP: curatorial capacity as they helped the museum’s DEVELOPING THE QUEEN SIRIKIT enthusiastic, but inexperienced, staff develop an MUSEUM OF TEXTILES administrative structure for the museum and three opening exhibitions. The Queen Sirikit Museum With Melissa Leventon of Textiles, nine long years in the making, finally In April 2004, Melissa Leventon received an opened to the public on May 9, 2012. RFQ—a request for qualifications—from an Leventon will share her perspective on the architectural firm in Chicago looking for a process, joys, and challenges of building a consulting textile specialist to assist with a museum from the ground up, across language renovation project undertaken by one of its and culture barriers and 8,000 miles of distance. principals. That out-of-the-blue email eventually She will display pictures charting the institution’s led her to the most exciting project of her career: development from four walls, a floor, and a roof to the creation of a brand-new museum. In Bangkok. Bangkok’s newest and best museum. Before: Photo © Melissa Leventon 2007 After: Photo by Anak Navaraj, 2012 © Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles For the project, Leventon teamed up with Dale Melissa Leventon, former FAMSF Curator-in- Gluckman, a Los Angeles-based colleague. Their Charge of Textiles, is principal of Curatrix Group, work began with the architectural program as a San Francisco-based museum consultancy and she and Dale planned and led an international appraisal firm specializing in costume and textiles. tour for a few key museum stakeholders to study Leventon has curated exhibitions in media ranging Fine Arts best—and worst—practices for the care, storage, from contemporary glass to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Museums of San Francisco and display of textiles and costumes. What they and has authored several books and many articles learned resulted in three reports outlining what and essays. She is also a senior adjunct professor de Young ideal museum galleries, storage, conservation, at California College of the Arts where she teaches Legion and other back-of-house spaces should look courses in fashion theory and history. of Honor like and contain. Subsequently, Melissa and Programs continue on page 2, col. 1 1 Programs continued from page 1 Saturday, October 12, 2013, 10 a.m. Saturday, November 16, 2013, 10 a.m. SCRAPE THE WILLOW UNTIL Artist, professor, and author Deborah LOOMS THAT BLOOM: YOUNG IT SINGS: THE WORDS AND Valoma is a faculty member and chair INDIGENOUS WEAVERS WORK OF BASKET MAKER of the Textiles Program at California FROM OAXACA College of the Arts. Her specialized JULIA PARKER With Hector Manuel Meneses Lozano field of research is the cultural history of With Deborah Valoma textiles as a global aesthetic practice. In During my presentation, I will give a brief Deborah Valoma has known master addition to teaching a comprehensive overview of the Museo Textil de Oaxaca’s basket maker Julia Parker (Coast Miwok/ series of graduate and undergraduate history and will also address key aspects Kashaya Pomo) for decades. Nine courses on textile history and theory, of our mission. The presentation will be years ago Valoma began recording their she has written articles including “Cloth very visual with pictures from different conversations and from these emerged and African Identity in Bahia, Brazil” regions of Oaxaca showing people at the recently published looms, weaving, and doing embroidery, book, Scrape the and including videos with people speaking Willow until It Sings: (English subtitles). The Words and In November 2012, the Museo Textil de Work of Basket Oaxaca (MTO), located in Oaxaca City, Maker Julia Parker southern Mexico, presented an exhibition (Heyday–release titled, “Looms that sprout new leaves: date October 15, young textile artists of Oaxaca.” Twenty- 2013). Through image four weavers and embroiderers, ages 8 presentation, formal to 20 and coming from different regions analysis, and personal of Oaxaca, participated in the show. This narratives, Valoma talk will focus on the experiences and the will discuss Julia’s impact this show has had on these young life, art work, cultural textile artists. mission, and some of the philosophical Our goal was to motivate this group of principles that have young textile enthusiasts into preserving guided the weaver their traditions through a museological through the years. experience, in accordance with our mission. In preparation for the show, we Julia Parker was made trips to each of the participants’ a student of the communities, involving them, their great basket weavers of the twentieth (Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress families, and the whole MTO staff in the century Lucy Telles (Yosemite Miwok/ and Fashion) and “The Impermanent experience. These visits were made in Paiute), Carrie Bethel (Paiute), Mabel Made Permanent: Textiles, Pattern and order to get to know all the participants McKay (Cache Creek Pomo), and Elsie the Migration of a Medium” (Fiberarts). and, when allowed, to photograph and Allen (Cloverdale Pomo). Over the In 2010, Valoma edited and wrote the film them at home. These pictures and last fifty years of diligent study and introductory essay for a special issue of videos were then translated into a digital experimentation, she has emerged Textiles: Journal of Cloth and Culture on publication that was on display and that is as one of the preeminent Native the topic of dust. currently in the process of being uploaded American basket makers of California. Deborah Valoma will have a book signing onto the internet. A distinguished elder of the Federated of her book, Scrape the Willow until It All participants and their families Indians of Graton Rancheria and a Sings: The Words and Work of Basket attended the opening night. The MTO longtime resident of Yosemite Valley, Maker Julia Parker, at the Museum book prepared a series of activities for them Parker is a prolific artist, cultural store after her lecture. demonstrator, teacher, and storyteller. during the whole weekend. Then during the exhibition period at the museum, 2 Programs continue on page 4, col. 1 FROM THE TEXTILE ARTS COUNCIL BOARD CHAIR July 2013 TAC BOARD Along with the Chairs of the other curatorial Gautier exhibition. TAC’s contributions to the Rose Kelly Textile Conservation Department support special support groups, I recently presented a year- Chair end report to the Fine Arts Museums of San projects, including the cleaning of 3 European Peggy Gordon Francisco Board of Trustees. They were textiles on display at the de Young’s recent Treasurer impressed by the hard work and diverse exhibition From the Exotic to the Mystical: Textile activities of the Textile Arts Council. With Treasures from the Permanent Collection. Leslee Budge a membership of approximately 600, TAC Secretary You may wonder how someone becomes a continues to be one of the largest support Board Member. Each story is unique but I can Ruth Anderson organizations and one of the largest textile tell you mine. While I was teaching a class at U. Barbara Beckmann organizations in the country. C. Davis on World Textiles of Africa, Asia, and Mikki Bourne I thought you might be interested in learning a Oceania, another faculty member suggested Jean Cacicedo little more about how your Board works. The Serena Lee as a guest speaker. She is a Board Sharon Christovich 20-member Board includes artists, designers, advisor and organizes TAC’s Ethnic Textile Study Marlene Golden scholars and collectors. Each member serves Group that meets once a month at the de Young, Robin Hampton a 6-year term and is expected to work on 2 or enabling members to share their knowledge and 3 committees. There are 14 committees that enthusiasm about textiles from around the world. Karin Hazelkorn keep TAC running. These include Finance, This is a great interest of mine so I became a Darlene Jurow Programs, Tours, Volunteers, and Hospitality. member and began to attend the meetings in Shirley Juster There is a committee that organizes the addition to other TAC events. Subsequently I was Connie Levy invited to become a Board member and about a annual TAC Holiday Party and Silent Auction, Heather Oelerich and one for the upcoming fundraiser, the year later, I was asked if I would consider being Helen Scully Ethnic Textile Bazaar. A committee puts nominated to be chair. The Board Development Dana Walsh together the newsletter and events postcard Committee is always looking for potential new and another oversees the website. Board members who have an interest and enthusiasm members attend nine monthly meetings for textiles. If you would like to learn more, Board Advisory Board a year as well as committee meetings as members are easily identified by their badges at Mary Connors needed. It is a dedicated group. all TAC events. Serena Harrigan On a final note, The Textile Arts Council would All these efforts produce a broad range of Ana Lisa Hestsrom lectures, programs, tours, and events tailored not have been able to accomplish all that it has Barbara Kelly to the interests of our members.