Upcoming Events

Join WARP for our April Fireside Chat with member Jennifer Moore!

Jennifer Moore holds an MFA in Fibers and specializes in exploring mathematical  patterns in doubleweave wall hangings. She has exhibited throughout the world,  receiving numerous awards for her work, and has been featured in many weaving  publications. Jennifer lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and travels extensively to teach  workshops in doubleweave, color and geometric design. Jennifer is on the board of  directors of the nonprofit organization Andean Textile Arts. She was invited to teach  doubleweave to indigenous Quechua weavers in Peru in 2013, where they are once again  excelling in this technique that had been discontinued after the Spanish conquest. She is  the author of The Weaver’s Studio: Doubleweave, Doubleweave: Revised & Expanded,  several doubleweave videos and online courses, and numerous articles.

Please note: This is a WARP member’s only program. If you would like to attend our monthly Meet A Member Fireside Chats, please join WARP here. 

For more than 700 years, the legacy cloth, lubugo (barkcloth), made from the mutuba tree (ficus natalensis) has been used to clothe Ugandans, bury the dead and mark sacred ceremonies in Uganda. In 2005, it was designated as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO to be preserved and protected. Today, it is inspiring contemporary artists, designers, scientists, scholars and researchers locally, regionally, continentally and globally. It has an exciting future but faces several challenges, such as deforestation and the passing away of the elderly skilled masters without their children continuing the tradition. The Bukomansimbi Organic Tree Farmers Association (BOFTA) and a global group of collaborators are working together to strengthen Uganda’s barkcloth industry and preserve this tradition for future generations. 

From piloting a Tree Adoption Program, to participation in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, to training for younger barkcloth makers, and working with artists and designers to create a system for barkcloth that is traceable to a geo-located tree – join our conversation as this team shares their passion and projects surrounding this unique fabric. As artists and collaborators, Fred Mutebi and Lesli Robertson have worked together on projects in Uganda and the US since 2008. In 2012, Fred and his brother Stephen Kamya founded BOFTA with the award winning 9th generation barkcloth master Paul Bukenya Katamiira. Today, his sons, including Peter Katamiira, are taking the tradition in new directions with international collaborations and local training programs.

WARP’s Annual Meeting brings members together for education, fellowship, and networking. This year’s meeting will be held on the Kent State University (KSU) campus July 13-16. Our 2023 theme is Threads of Connection: Exploring the Local to Global Textile Community. For this conference, WARP will host presenters from the local and international textile community. In addition to a great lineup of speakers, we have a number of fun networking opportunities including our annual Welcome Circle, a WARP members exhibition reception, a live auction and fashion show, international vendor marketplace, an optional hands-on workshop, and bus tour to the Cleveland Museum of Art. Please click here to view the full program.

This year’s meeting is open to members only. We welcome new members to join & register for the annual meeting. If you are interested in attending this year’s meeting, please become a member here.