Textile day at Alexandria museum of art gives real experience

The Alexandria Museum of Art’s monthly event featured the usual Saturday offerings with a different twist. Textile Day offered clients an opportunity to get a closer look and chance to work with, art and fabrics. Clients got to not only the demonstrations of techniques but also participated in knitting, weaving and dyeing and also to create their own textile collages.

Nancy Noles, an educator with the museum said that they are work to make this event more interactive by giving people things to do, not just see. Let them be hands-on and create something. Most people who say they can’t are the ones who end up doing it.

The idea for collages was inspired in part by the museum’s current collection — Reflections: African-American Life from the Myrna Colley-Lee Collection. It features paintings, works on paper and fabric works from the collection of costume designer and arts patron Myrna Colley-Lee.

Participants on Saturday made their own visual compositions from materials including beads, fabrics and buttons. A lot of it is things that can be recycled or repurposed.

Museum members Joan Ashby and Susie Minton were among those trying their hand at collages.