Educational Programs

The Museum's educational programs encourage visitors to explore the variety and wonder of the textile arts, and to learn more about how textiles are made and why they are important. Exhibition-related programming is designed to enhance and expand upon the exhibition themes. All exhibitions feature school tours, and programs are offered for educators throughout the year.

Click here to see the Museum's current calendar of events.

PROGRAMS FOR FAMILIES & CHILDREN

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS
Adult programs include tours, lectures, workshops, films and year-round Saturday Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings. Click the links below for more information on ongoing programs and visit the calendar page for specific listings.

• Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings
• Ask-a-Curator, Ask-a-Conservator
• Highlights Tours
• Guided Exhibition Tours
• The Textile Museum Fall Symposium
• Evenings at The TM

Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings
Generally held two Saturdays each month at 10:30 am, Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings give visitors an opportunity to expand their knowledge of textiles from around the world. Speakers include local collectors and experts who share textiles from their own collections and invite visitors to share theirs in an informal environment. See the calendar page for descriptions of upcoming Rug & Textile Appreciation Mornings.

Ask-a-Curator, Ask-a-Conservator
This ongoing program, held the first Wednesday of every month (September through May) from 10:30 am to 1 pm, gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about their own textiles from Textile Museum curatorial and conservation staff. While Museum curators specialize in the textile arts of non-Western cultures, the conservation staff can answer questions about caring for textiles produced worldwide. Fee: free/members; $5/non-nembers. No reservations are required.

Highlights Tours
Drop-in tours that feature an overview of the Museum and highlights from current exhibitions are offered every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 pm. No reservations are required.

Guided Exhibition Tours
Group tours of current exhibitions may be scheduled for the following days and times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:15 am to 3:00 pm; Thursday from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Please reserve the tour at least four weeks in advance of the preferred date.

To request a guided exhibition tour for adults using our Online Tour Request Form, click here.

The Textile Museum Fall Symposium
The annual Textile Museum Fall Symposium is designed to bring together individuals interested in learning more about textiles and to promote scholarship, camaraderie and the informal exchange of ideas.

Tying the Rainbow: Reexamining Central Asian Ikats
Oct. 15-17, 2010
Drawing inspiration from the Textile Museum’s fall exhibition, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, this year's Fall Symposium will explore the unparalleled tradition of Central Asian ikats past and present. For more information, and to register, click here.

For information on the 2009 program, on the topic "From Kimono to Couture: The Evolution of Japanese Fashion," click here.

For information on the 2008 program, on the topic "Cultural Threads: Exploring the Context of Oriental Rugs and Textiles," click here.

Evenings at the TM
The Evenings at the TM series invites guest speakers and visiting scholars to illuminate exhibition related topics over light refreshments at the museum. For information on the latest programs, click here.
Fee per lecture: $20/members; $25/non-members. Fee for the series: $100/members; $125/non-members. Advance registration is required; space is limited. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64 to register. Evenings at The TM is funded by Eleanor T. Rosenfeld.

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Click here for school tour details (pdf).

To request a tour for a school group using our Online School Tours Request Form, click here.

Girl Scouts of America
The Textile Museum offers Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts a chance to earn points toward the Art to Wear, Colors and Shapes and Art Around the World Try-its, or the Yarn and Fabric Arts badge. For more details, click here.

Museum-School Partnership Opportunity
The Textile Museum invites all classes in District of Columbia Public and Charter Schools to apply for participation in a unique Museum-School Partnership project tied to Second Lives: The Age-Old Art of Recycled Textiles (February 4, 2011 through July 10, 2011). For details and to submit an application, click here.

Workshops, open house evenings, and support materials are offered in connection with some exhibitions. The Textile Museum is a partner in the Arts for Every Student Program with the D.C. Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative and D.C. Public Schools. Send us your mailing address to be added to the Museum's Educator E-Mail List.

LEARNING MATERIALS ONLINE

The Museum's interactive online learning experience, Common Threads: Unraveling the World of Textiles, features resources for teachers and suggestions for using the site in the classroom.

Online lesson plans and resources are available in connection with the past exhibition, Flowers of Silk and Gold: Four Centuries of Ottoman Embroidery.

The vocabulary used to describe textiles is rich, varied, and often unfamiliar. Familiarize yourself with commonly used terms using our illustrated "Textile Terms" guide.

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