The Fabric Workshop and Museum in Philadelphia

A Contemporary Art Museum in Philadelphia

The Fabric Workshop and Museum, founded in 1977, is recognized as an internationally acclaimed contemporary art museum and is the only institution in the Unites States devoted to creating work in new materials and media in collaboration with artists at all stages of their careers, working with studio staff, educators, and apprentices.

The Collections document FWM’s unique history of artistic activity with contemporary artists. They also include important documentation and process materials relating to the creative development of projects by Artists-in-Residence. Collections fall into three categories:

Commissioned Works of Art created in the Artist-in-Residence Program large-scale installations and sculptures, drawings and paintings, hand screen-printed fabric garments and textiles;

Artist Boxes assembled at the completion of each artist's residence that include samples, prototypes, swatches, and other materials related to the creative process;

Photography and Video Archives documentation of the creative process of artist's residencies, artist and curator lectures, exhibitions, special fabrication techniques, and educational activities.  

The Artist-in-Residence Program a collaborative process, a permanent collection of some 6,000 works of art and an archive of diverse materials that preserves and documents the course of artistic production from inspiration to realization. FWM hosts emerging and established local and international contemporary artists who have a demonstrated commitment to innovation and exploration. Artists-in-residence are drawn from all disciplines, including painting, sculpture, architecture and design, conceptual and installation art, performance, and video. Working collaboratively with FWM's staff of printers and technicians, artists are introduced to new techniques, materials, and resources, and are thus able to realize projects that would not otherwise be possible. Through this collaborative creative process, artists stretch the boundaries not only of their own work, and of the creative possibility of the various media, but also of the larger development of contemporary art. 

Education & Apprenticeships Programs

High School one of the original programs of The Fabric Workshop and Museum, the High School Apprentice Training Program offers students the opportunity to learn all aspects of hand screen-printing on fabric. Students design and print their own fabric yardage and assist staff in the production of artist residency projects. Hand screen-printing is an art form as well as an industrial skill, and the program is designed to provide students with new tools for artistic expression and self-empowerment. The program was created to provide excellent art education for teenagers from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds; the objective is to complement school resources and improve art education for high school age students in the Philadelphia region.

College and Post-Graduate a holistic experience enabling artists to develop skills in silkscreen printing and working with fabric to enhance their studio practice.  Apprentices participate in the daily operations of the FWM studio and museum and learn how to create a design by hand on mylar, mix colors with fabric pigment, use screen printing techniques, register multiple screens, and print their own one-color and three-color repeat yardages. The program focuses on enabling artists to develop skills in screen printing and integrating fabric into their art making.

Family Programs designed to explore and learn about contemporary art in new and exciting ways. Using FWM's exhibitions and unique studio environment as a foundation for learning, this program features hands-on activities designed to spark interest, arouse curiosity, and encourage children and adults to learn about art and culture together. Workshops allow families time and space to share in the creative process and expression inside and outside the Museum walls.

Study Tours Workshops and Custom Programs lead participants through our current exhibitions and professional studios and are available to middle school, high school, college and adult groups. Custom programs include one or two-session collaborative design and print repeat yardage workshops or special presentations of past artist-in-residence projects.

Museum features include an ambitious exhibitions program, a museum shop filled with functional objects created by artists-in-residence, FWM publications, onsite screen-printing and studio workshops and a wide ranging educational program.

The Fabric Workshop and Museum is in the heart of a thriving community in Center City Philadelphia’s Convention Center District, home to cutting-edge art galleries and a historic art academy.

Arts and Education Travel Experiences  in Center City Philadelphia
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Industry and Commerce Itineraries

Destinations where History is Still Being Made

Itineraries designed for American families and friends from abroad interested in experiencing the past, present and future of industrial and commercial development in key regions of the United States.

From Farming and Manufacturing to Services and Sustainability

Several American Communities are transitioning from traditional industrial and commercial activities to technologically innovative ones; in some instances, they are also able to re-establish their traditional economic activities with a successful application of the so called knowledge economy and, in the process, becoming once again competitive in the world marketplace.

Communications Training Small Business and Entrepreneurship

There are several reasons why a community’s traditional economy can succeed in a post-industrial environment. Among them are: the utilization of modern communications technology, updating existing industrial infrastructure, training of the local workforce and the participation of small businesses with the support of local government that often leads to new entrepreneurial opportunities as well.

Preserving and Divulging a Community Cultural Heritage with Local Museums

The travel services industry often plays a key role in generating economic multipliers in a community and Local Museums contribute to local economic development and are a key point of reference in telling the local story that links the past with the future:

Baltimore was the first and remains among the most successful efforts at redeveloping a downtown area. The Inner Harbor is a major travel destination and home to a unique museum made up of historic ships that have served the local community and the nation over time.

Nearby, Maryland’s Capital of Annapolis is a great example of a small town with a tourism vocation as demonstrated by museums that tell us about colonial America and life on the Chesapeake Bay.

In Hershey, the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum traces America’s love affair with the automobile and its cultural and economic contributions, ranging from drive-in movies, to gas stations, diners, shopping malls and long distance business and vacation travel.

In Chicago the Central Manufacturing District CMD a logistics and business incubator that focuses on advanced food production methods energy efficient off-grid and resilient neighborhoods

And out West, museums in Colorado Springs help define a thriving arts and culture scene and retrace for us the many industrial activities, from mining to construction and the Gold Rush, along with a compelling story of transportation, from horses to rail – local and intercity – to air and space.

Local Food Wineries Breweries and a Travel Economy

There are several fascinating examples throughout America of a resurgence in farming that cater to an ever increasing demand for local, quality and sustainable food, wine and ale consumption:

 

In the Washington, DC area, both in the US capital city and its suburban communities, a unique local economy driven by government spending has also fueled the development of downtown and neighborhood construction. This in turn has spawned a demand for nightlife and weekend amenities for both a highly educated and environmentally conscious local population and out of town visitors.

In the Maryland suburbs, the community of Silver Spring has undergone such a transformation and is excellent base from which travelers can take in the sights and monuments of the capital as well as the Potomac River Trails and the coastal communities along Chesapeake Bay.

Similar experiences that provide a uniquely local eno-gastronomical atmosphere with historical and sustainable attractions are present in Southeastern Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia Neighborhoods and Hershey Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River Valley.

Arts Culture and the Environment

Some communities have been in the forefront of land conservation, historic preservation, arts movements that celebrates land and landscapes and water resources management initiatives: 

In the Lehigh Valley, the local culture draws from the Moravian settlements experience in which all men were equal; a broad cultural environment in which music, art, education and religious tolerance flourished, as evidenced by the communal dwellings, churches and industrial structures.

The Brandywine Valley, facing an industrial development that would impact a largely rural community, focused on Development & Conservancy Issues, including floodplain areas that threatened to devastate water supplies in parts of the Delaware River Valley. Local residents bought endangered land and initiated conservation easements that now protect five and one-half miles along the Brandywine River. 

In the city of Philadelphia, the waterfront is now a 6 mile walking and biking destination. Trail features include streetscape improvements along the entire waterfront trail, a bi-directional bikeway, pedestrian walkway and rain gardens that collect the first inch of storm water, relieving the city sewer system during major weather events, as well as benches, bike racks, decorative street pavers and innovative solar trail lighting. Center City offers a thriving culture and entertainment scene as well as contemporary arts museum with training programs and study tours for students, aspiring artists and family traveling.   

Dallas is the first ISO 14001 certified city in the US - the international environmental standard which sets environmental goals for organizations and communities – and among the first to adopt a green building program that now boasts 5 LEED Gold, 1 LEED-EB Silver and 2 certified buildings. New projects in the city include pedestrian-friendly parks such as Main Street Garden, Belo Garden and the Klyde Warren Park. Dallas also is home to the Trinity River Audubon Center, a LEED certified building with many sustainable features: a vegetated roof, rainwater collection system, energy efficient systems and recycled materials.