Kids and Kids at Heart Can Explore the Textile Arts and World Cultures at Upcoming Festival

The Textile Museum will hold its 30th annual Celebration of Textiles on Saturday, June 7, 10 am - 4 pm and on Sunday, June 8, 1 - 5 pm. Established in 1978, this free festival for all ages invites visitors to explore the textile arts and cultures of the world through hands-on activities and artist demonstrations in the Museum's gardens, historic buildings and current exhibitions.

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) March 7, 2008 -- The Textile Museum will hold its 30th Annual Celebration of Textiles on Saturday, June 7, 10 am - 4 pm and on Sunday, June 8, 1 - 5 pm. Established in 1978, this free festival for all ages invites visitors to explore the textile arts and cultures of the world through hands-on activities and artist demonstrations in the Museum's gardens, historic buildings and current exhibitions.

Please note: Activities and demonstrations vary on Saturday and Sunday. More information is available at www.textilemuseum.org/celebration.htm.

The festival includes opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience weaving, knitting, rug restoration, dyeing and much more. A perennial favorite, this year's festival features live sheep shearing demonstrations (Saturday only, weather permitting) and the chance to try spinning wool into yarn. Visitors can create a blue-dyed textile, inspired by the Museum's exhibition "BLUE," and watch artists from Springwater Fiber Workshop use natural indigo dye. Attendees can also see and try a variety of looms, and talk with quilters from the Annapolis Quilter's Guild as well as area knitters and contemporary fiber artists.

Live musical performances include bluegrass performed by Blue Daze (Saturday only) and traditional Andean music and dance presented by RAYMI (Sunday only). The program on Saturday also includes the unveiling of a special display of textile art by students from three District of Columbia Public Schools - a 3rd grade art class at AK Savoy Elementary School, a 5th grade art class at Anthony Bowen Elementary School, and a 5th grade class from JC Nalle Elementary School - created through The Textile Museum's annual Museum-School Partnership.

Visitors can explore the creation and significance of the color blue in textiles across time and place in the exhibition "BLUE." Also on view is "The Finishing Touch: Accessories from the Bolivian Highlands," featuring a charming and colorful group of belts, bags, hats and other handmade textiles made and used by the indigenous peoples of the Bolivian Andes. Refreshments will be available for purchase both days. ALL ACTIVITIES ARE FREE.

In 1978 The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. held a celebration of textile arts in the Museum's gardens to commemorate International Museum Day. That event served as the catalyst for what has now blossomed into Celebration of Textiles, a lively weekend of fiber arts activities and fun for the entire family. More than 2,400 visitors take part in the art activities annually, learning about handmade textiles and the cultures around the world that produce them.

Celebration of Textiles started with the goal of inviting people to come in casually and learn about the techniques and cultures represented in the Museum's exhibitions, drawing in new audiences and offering an opportunity for people of all ages to explore the wonder and variety of textile art. While The Textile Museum now provides a variety of opportunities for children to learn about textiles year-round through school programs and the hands-on Activity Gallery of The Textile Learning Center, the spirit of Celebration of Textiles has remained constant. It aims to build a greater appreciation of the textile arts through intergenerational activities that can be enjoyed by children, parents, grandparents and friends alike.

Celebration of Textiles is part of the Dupont-Kalorama Museums Consortium's Museum Walk Weekend. For more information, visit www.dkmuseums.com.

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