2026 Annual Gathering

Cultivating Connection: Land, Fiber, and the Human Thread

June 24-28 Guelph, Ontario, Canada
In-Person Registration deadline is June 1, 2026

This June 24–28 in Guelph, Ontario, WARP’s Annual Gathering will bring together Indigenous artists, regenerative fiber farmers, sustainability innovators, historians, fashion disruptors, scholars, and makers for an experience that our members look forward to all year. Learn from award-winning Indigenous artist and educator Naomi Smith, whose keynote weaves ancestral teachings, colonial histories, and contemporary Indigenous resilience through the story of beads. Engage with leaders rethinking the entire wool value chain in Ontario — from sheep husbandry to waste fiber innovation to regenerative agriculture. Connect face-to-face with fellow WARP members who care as deeply as you do about how land becomes cloth, and cloth becomes culture. Spark ideas and partnerships that cannot emerge in isolation. Meet our Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship recipients, the next generation of fiber artists. Be inspired at the Canadian Artisan Marketplace, local fiber farms and mills, iconic Toronto museums, and Niagara Falls.

The WARP Annual Gathering is open to members only. If you are not yet a WARP member and would like to attend, we welcome you to join. If you are interested in attending this year’s gathering, please join WARP today!

Gathering schedule

Download a detailed agenda here.

Wednesday, June 24 @ university of Guelph

Check-in will open at the University of Guelph on Wednesday afternoon. It is a WARP tradition to start the Annual Gathering on the first evening with a Welcome Circle where everyone introduces themselves briefly. The 2026 Annual Gathering will begin with dinner at 5:30 pm, followed by the Annual Welcome Circle at 7 pm.

Thursday, june 25 @ university of Guelph

We begin in community — honoring WARP’s past and shaping its future at the Annual Business Meeting — before moving into a day of powerful ideas, bold creativity, and deeply rooted storytelling.

Keynote speaker Naomi Smith brings more than 25 years of artistry and cultural knowledge to the stage, weaving together Indigenous beadwork traditions, lived experience, and the enduring strength of ancestral design. The conversation continues with Deborah Livingstone-Lowe and Wave Weir, two visionary leaders redefining what cloth and fashion production can be. The 2026 Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship recipient presentations bring fresh research, new ideas, and bold creative work directly to our community.

As evening falls, the energy shifts to celebration at the Canadian Artisan Marketplace, featuring artists, fibre farms, and guilds from across Ontario. It is an opportunity to connect face-to-face with makers, support regional fibre economies, and discover extraordinary work you simply won’t encounter anywhere else.

Keynote Speaker Naomi Smith

Naomi Smith is an award winning Indigenous Artist, Maker and Educator from the Chippewas of Nawash Nation in Neyaashiinimiing. For over 25 years Naomi has focused on sharing teachings about the Indigenous people of the Woodlands and Northeastern region from a historical and contemporary perspective often through the story of beads. Her work embraces ancestral designs in the form of bags, adornment and traditional accessories. Naomi’s work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally. Naomi’s artwork is in permanent collections at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston, MA, The Art Gallery of Guelph, Schneider Haus, and private collections throughout the world. While many of her lectures and presentations are art themed, she also talks about the historic challenges facing indigenous peoples and how this narrative has affected her life journey. Naomi provides insight into her Indigenous world which is a unique blend of traditional teachings and colonial experiences. 

“Rethinking Cloth and Fashion Production“

Deborah Livingstone-Lowe Deborah is the founder of Upper Canada Weaving, a small-scale cottage weaving workshop. The principle behind all of her commissions is sustainability, sourcing to farm, local mill spinning and small-batch dyeing. Deborah specializes in 19^th and 20th century reproductions and collaborations with fashion and interior designers.

Wave Weir, launching her career as a high-end fashion designer, began reflecting on the damaging effects of fashion and resolved to make a difference. Where to begin? With sheep, of course! Today, she and her team do it all at Wave Fibre Mill – manufacturing finished garments from local fibre that they process into yarn and fabric, all with a watchful eye to maintaining ecologically responsible practices.

Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship Recipients

A highlight of the Annual Gathering is learning about the work of the Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship recipients via their presentations. The scholarship assists applicants ages 18-35 in attending the WARP Annual Gathering. Preference is given to students or recent graduates, but those pursuing non-traditional career paths related to WARP’s mission are also encouraged to apply. This year the scholarship includes a complimentary 2-year WARP membership, Annual Gathering registration costs, room and board, and travel expenses (up to $500 for domestic travel and up to $1000 for international travel). Click here for more information about the 2026 scholarship and to apply.

Friday, june 26

Optional Field trips

Friday offers the chance to step directly into the fibre ecosystems, cultural institutions, and iconic scenery that shape Ontario’s creative identity. Our optional field trips are immersive experiences designed to deepen connection, spark inspiration, and create unforgettable memories alongside fellow attendees.

Breakfast and dinner bring everyone back together on campus, creating space to reconnect, share stories from the day, and deepen the friendships forming throughout the Gathering. Please note that seats are limited for each of the field trips, due to bus capacity. Please make sure you register early to ensure a spot on your desired tour!

Rural Fibre Tour, $100 USD – Spend a day immersed in local fibre production with a guided rural tour featuring three unique stops:

• Wellington Fibres – Visit a working mohair goat farm and on-site fibre processing mill. See how fleece becomes finished yarn.
• Revolution Wool Company – Tour a commercial sheep operation and learn about large-scale wool production from pasture to processing.
• Harmony Meadows Alpaca – Meet the alpacas up close and discover the qualities that make alpaca fibre so prized.

We’ll round out the day with lunch at a local Mennonite restaurant (cost of meal not included), making this a
true countryside experience. It’s a rare opportunity to connect directly with the animals, farmers, and fibre makers behind the materials we love. Please click here for travel considerations if you are coming from the United States.

Textile Museum Lover’s Day in Toronto, $100 USD -Join us for a curated bus tour to two of Canada’s most inspiring textile destinations, the Royal Ontario Museum and the Textile Museum of Canada. Spend the day exploring global textile traditions, historic garments, and contemporary fibre art. Your tour includes:

• Round-trip coach transportation
• Admission to both museums

After a guided one–hour tour of the ROM, you will be free to return to points of particular interest or go outdoors and around the corner to the Bata Shoe Museum. Entry fee for the Bata will be on your own, as it is optional. Lunch will be on you at one of the many close-by restaurants. Seats are limited — gather your fellow textile enthusiasts and join us for a day of inspiration.

Niagara Falls, $100 USD- Prefer waterfalls to textiles (just for a day)? Join us for a relaxed coach trip to Niagara Falls. We’ll provide round-trip transportation and light guided touring by bus, as well as a boat tour of the falls.

Once there, the day is yours. Take in the breathtaking views of the Falls, stroll the parkway, explore
Clifton Hill, and enjoy a boat ride to the falls on the Hornblower. Lunch and additional attractions are self-guided and at your own pace and expense.

It’s an easy, social, and scenic getaway — perfect for anyone who simply wants a beautiful day out.

Do Your Own Thing, FREE

Guelph is compact , welcoming and deeply rooted in arts, heritage and craft traditions. Highlights within walking distance or city buses include the Art Gallery, Civic Museum, Basilica and McCrae House. Downtown features historic buildings, artisan shops, galleries and lots of restaurant options.

Not far afield are the picturesque arts village of Elora and the Elora Gorge, the Mennonite community of St Jacobs, and the renowned theatre centre of Stratford, all connected by scenic roads through quiet countryside.

If you prefer to spend the day exploring Guelph on your won, our local experts will provide you with maps and additional information upon registration.

Membership Committee Activity

New Event!  Come join us  after dinner for our first Cloth and Conversation!  WARP brings together textile lovers of every kind- weavers, spinners, dyers, quilters and those who don’t make but still cherish and celebrate textiles. Bring one or two personal favorite textiles from your collection to share.  Your textile can be one that you really love, or one you want to know more about in terms of learning technique, dyes, identification of specific cultures, and other relevant information.  

Tables for textiles will be organized so members can converse and leave notes or comments on each piece.  Even if you don’t bring a textile, come share your knowledge and curiosity about the beautiful pieces from other members’ collections. Casual, no sales, no presentations, just relaxing, enjoying textiles, sharing, conversation, and making friends in an informal setting. 

Saturday, june 27 @ University of guelph

If Thursday inspires and Friday immerses, Saturday activates.

The day begins with global perspective and entrepreneurial vision as Kinza Lhamo and Asutosh Upadhyay, founders of Hamro Village, share their work in fair trade enterprise and ethical production. From there, we turn to a panel discussion focusing on one of the most pressing conversations in fibre today: land, stewardship, and the future of Canadian wool. This practical, forward-thinking panel is deeply rooted in sustainability, regional economies, and regenerative agriculture. Discover new voices or celebrate old friends for  — and for recipients, a rare platform to present their work before an engaged and knowledgeable audience.

In the evening, the beloved annual WARP Fashion Show and Live Auction merges artistry, laughter, creativity, and the joy of seeing textiles worn, celebrated, and brought to life. The auction raises vital support for WARP’s programs while offering the chance to take home exceptional work.

Breakfast and lunch in the UC Chef’s Dining Hall and an evening dinner at the University Club begin and end a day designed for conversation, connection, and celebration.

“Building Hamro Village: Fair Trade, Textile Traditions, and Community Empowerment“

Kinza Lhamo is Co-Founder and Creative Director of Hamro Village, where she leads product
development and creative direction. Born and raised in Bhutan, she developed an early appreciation for
traditional craftsmanship and cultural storytelling. Kinza brings deep experience in ethical design and Fair Trade, blending traditional textile techniques with contemporary design to create meaningful products that support artisan communities and preserve cultural heritage.

Asutosh Upadhyay is Co-Founder of Hamro Village and provides strategic leadership grounded in ethical
trade and social responsibility. Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, he grew up surrounded by rich cultural
traditions and witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by artisan communities. He is committed to ensuring that business serves as a force for cultural preservation, community empowerment, and long-term social impact.

“Re-imagining the Ontario Wool Value Chain: Through Past Histories, Product Innovation, Wool Husbandry and New Partnerships”

Historically, many small towns and villages were locally centered around wool processing mills. Today, in Canada, this is not the case. There is little infrastructure to support the manufacture of wool goods in Canada. This makes it frivolous for farmers to raise breeds that produce optimal fibre or to care for the fibre throughout the year while the animals are carrying the fibres. Moving forward to a scenario that wool fibres are as important as the meat will be an incremental effort. Farmers will need to see improved financial returns to make it happen. That means finding uses for all qualities of fibre. These, and more, are the questions over which our panel members have been mulling. You can learn more about our panelists here.

Gloria Davis Memorial Assistantship Recipients

The Gloria Davis Memorial Assistantship Fund began in 2018 thanks to WARP member Susan Davis’s donation of the Gloria Davis Textile Collection. Susan’s friend Gloria Davis was an anthropologist who collected Indonesian textiles over her lifetime of doing field work. Proceeds from the sale of these textiles established the Assistantship fund, which is now sustained by donations. Assistants have the opportunity to give a 15-minute presentation about themselves and their work, and to have a sales table the afternoon following their presentations. To learn more about the Gloria Davis Memorial Assistantship and to apply, click here.

WARP Annual Fashion Show and Live Auction

Always a highlight of the Annual Gathering!  Share the WARP stage on Saturday night by being part of a fun and casual fashion show! Bring something wearable you’ve made, or a textile treasure you’ve brought from around the world. When you register, we’ll give you a 3″x5″ card to write out 2-3 sentences about what it is, how it was made, who made it, and so forth. Humor encouraged but not required. Limit 2 pieces per person, and it’s fine to recruit a model if you wish. Join us for this fun evening event and appreciate all our talent and taste.

Following the fashion show will be our much-loved annual live auction. If you are attending the Annual Gathering, you may bring your auction donations with you. For those who are not attending in person, but would like to make a donation, please email us.

Sunday, june 8

No programs scheduled. Breakfast will be available in the UC Chef’s Hall before attendees depart.

Additional details

Gathering Location: The 2026 WARP Annual Gathering will take place on the campus of the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. Gathering attendees will have the option to participate in field trips to Toronto, Niagara Falls, or through the Ontario countryside. All other Gathering programs, meals, and events will take place on the University campus.

Planning Your Trip to Canada: The University of Guelph is an hour west of Toronto, with regular shuttle service to Pearson International Airport (YYZ), (see Transportation details below). Alternately, residents of the United States may choose to fly into Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), rent a car and drive two hours north to Guelph. Before you make your travel plans we recommend that you visit the Canadian tourism and travel website for information regarding entry requirements, travel documents, and customs regulations. Additional details regarding visa and electronic travel authorization (eTA) requirements can be found by clicking here.

Meals: Registration includes dinner on Wednesday, breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Thursday, breakfast and dinner on Friday, breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. Provided meals will accommodate most dietary needs and you will have the chance to specify when completing the Gathering registration form. Meals will take place in the University Centre UC Chef’s Dining Hall, with a catered dinner in the University Club on Saturday evening.

Housing: Campus housing is available to book through your WARP Annual Meeting registration. Attendees will be staying at the East Village Townhouses. These townhome-style residences feature private bedrooms with shared bathroom and living spaces. Linens and parking spaces are included. See “additional costs” below for details and pricing. If you do not wish to stay on campus, there are many other hotels in Guelph available for private booking. If you prefer to arrange your own housing at a an off-campus hotel, please click here to see a list of recommendations from our local WARP members.

Transportation:

• Transportation from Toronto Pearson International Airport is available through Red Car Service. To book your transportation, please visit the Red Car Service website and enter the discount code WARP2026 in the ‘Booking Code’ field. This will unlock WARP’s discounted pricing (please note these prices are in CAD and are priced per direction):
  • $15.00 – Hamilton International Airport (YHM) – Shared Ride only
  • $20.00 – Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) – Shared Ride or Private
  • $15.00 – Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) – Shared Ride Only
• There is ample parking at the University for those who wish to drive their own vehicles. Parking passes are included in the cost of housing for those staying on campus.

Conference costs

Base Registration Fees: 

• Early Bird Registration (Before April 15, 2026): $360 USD- Registration for full conference attendance, includes programs & meals.
• Full Registration (After April 15, 2026): $390 USD – Registration for full conference attendance, includes programs & meals.
• Student Rate: $190 USD – Reduced registration for full conference attendance, includes programs & meals.
• Day registration for Thursday, June 25th: $120 USD – Registration for Thursday Programs, including lunch, & dinner. 
• Day Registration for Saturday, June 27th: $120 USD – Registration for Saturday Programs, including lunch, dinner & evening fashion show/auction.

Optional Add-On Costs:

Housing $91.93-112.48 CAD (approximately $68-82 USD) per person per night – Includes 4 nights in the campus dormitory, with check-in on Wednesday, June 24th, and checkout on Sunday, June 28th. Campus housing is available to book directly through the University of Guelph. Beds are made with linens, a light blanket, one pillow, and one pillow case. A bar of soap and two towels are included for each guest. No daily linen service is provided; guests may exchange their towels or sheets at the desk at no extra charge.

• Attendees will be staying at the East Village Townhouses.
• The first floor has a living room and a kitchen, including a stove and fridge (dishes, cutlery, etc. are not included).
• The second and third floors each have two bedrooms and one shared washroom.
• Each person will have a separate bedroom.
• Complimentary laundry facilities are available.
• Complimentary WiFi access is provided for all rooms.
• Central air conditioning is available in all rooms.
• Bedrooms include one bed, one closet, and one desk.
• Linens and campus parking are included in your housing costs.
• You will be able to make roommate requests in your WARP Annual Meeting registration form.
• If you prefer to book your own private accommodations off-campus, please click here to see a list of recommendations from local WARP members.
• 1-2 person townhomes are on one floor, and availability is limited. Priority will be given to those who require wheelchair accessible housing.

Choose your Friday Activity: (Longer activity descriptions are listed above with the Friday Program)

• Option 1: Ontario Fibre Farms Tour, $100 USD (approximately $135 CAD) – Enjoy the scenic countryside of Ontario, with visits to Wellington Fibres, Revolution Wool, and Harmony Meadows. Includes bus fair and tour/admission fees; lunch and shopping opportunities are available for additional cost.
• Option 2: Toronto Museums Tour, $100 USD (approximately $135 CAD)– Visit the Royal Ontario Museum with a guided tour, then explore the ROM on your own or walk to the nearby Bata Shoe Museum. Enjoy lunch on your own at one of Toronto’s nearby eateries before boarding the bus to the Textile Museum of Canada. Cost includes bus fare and museum admission; lunch in Toronto not included.
• Option 3: Niagara Falls, $100 USD (approximately $135 CAD)– Take a bus to Niagara Falls, one of the most iconic views Ontario has to offer, followed by a boat ride at the falls. Meal costs are not included.
• Option 4: Do Your Own Thing, Free– Explore Guelph on your own with maps and recommendations from our local experts.

Virtual program attendance is free to WARP members. We will be live-streaming our Thursday and Saturday programs. Though there is no cost, we ask you to register so that you will receive communication and the Zoom links.

Financial Aid

WARP has two awards which cover the full cost of conference registration. To apply for a Gloria Davis Memorial Assistantship or an Alice Brown Memorial Scholarship, please visit our Financial Assistance Page. This year, both awards also include travel funding, thanks to generous donor support.

Gathering Policies

Gathering Cancellation Policy: 97% of the registration fee is refundable until June 1st, 2026. (WARP is unable to refund a 3% bank fee for Gathering registration cancellations.) From June 1st to June 12, 2026 there will be a refund of 50%. After June 12,2026 , we are unable to issue refunds.

Registration Age Policy: Registration is open to participants 18 and older. Those younger than 18 may register to attend, if accompanied by a legal guardian who is also registered as an attendee.

Photo/Video Release: WARP reserves the right to use photographs and video taken at WARP events for marketing purposes including, but not limited to, on social media, on our website, and in print and/or e-mail marketing campaigns. By registering for a WARP event, you authorize WARP to use your likeness without additional permission for these purposes.

WARP is a catalyst for improving the quality of life of textile artisans worldwide. We are an inclusive global network of individuals and organizations who value the social, cultural, historic, artistic, and economic importance of textile arts.