Textile Arts Council
In support of the Textile Department
of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
TAC Bazaar 2025
Saturday, November 8th · 10am - 4pm
St. Mary's Cathedral Event Center
1111 Gough Street San Francisco
Free and open to the public - Free parking
Who we Are
We are a support group of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco with the goal of advancing the appreciation of the Museums' textile and costume collections.
A Bay Area forum that provides lecturers, workshops, events and travel opportunities for artists, designers, aficionados and collectors of ethnic textiles, rugs, tapestries, Western costume, and contemporary fiber art.
All Power To The People
(after Man with Afro, San Francisco, California by Leon A. Borensztein, 1984)
2023 Bisa Butler
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
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Latest News
Highlights of the season
TAC Bazaar 2025
Calendar
Lectures, Tours and Workshops
Fall Lecture Series 2025
Lecture
Saturday, November 15th, 2025
A Measure of the Earth
Saturday Lecture with textile artist Diedrick Brackens
Date and time
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Saturday, November 15th · 10 - 11:30am PDT
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Location
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Koret Auditorium
de Young Museum
50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive San Francisco, CA 94118
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In person and via Zoom
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© Diedrick Brackens. Courtesy of the artist
Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
The presentation will take place in the Koret Auditorium at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and over Zoom. Attendance in person is free for all.
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Eventbrite tickets are for those who cannot attend in person and would like to view the live Zoom broadcast. A recording will be available for 14 days following the talk. Textile Arts Council Members: You do NOT need to purchase a ticket, your link will be emailed to you.
A measure of the Earth
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Diedrick Brackens (b. 1989, Mexia, Texas) explores the intersections of identity and sociopolitical issues through handwoven tapestries that reexamine allegory and narrative via material, autobiography, and broader themes of African American and queer identity, American history, and memory.
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Brackens is the recipient of the 2021 United States Artists Fellowship, the 2019 Louis Comfort Tiffany Grant, the 2019 Marciano Artadia Award, and the 2018 Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize from The Studio Museum in Harlem.
His recent solo exhibitions include his first institutional solo show in the United Kingdom at The Holburne Museum in Bath; The Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA; the Kestner Gesellschaft in Hannover, Germany; the Mint Museum in Charlotte, NC; Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles, CA; the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, TX; Oakville Galleries in Ontario, Canada; and the New Museum in New York, NY.
Tours and Workshops
Tour
Saturday, October 25th
Sunday, October 26th
Discover Hidden Treasures at the Antique Rug and Textile Show (ARTS)
An Exclusive TAC Tour
​​Date and time
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4 time slots -
See details and registration for more information
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Saturday, October 25th · 11:00 - 12:00pm
Saturday, October 25th · 2:00 - 3:00pm
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Sunday, October 26th · 11:00 - 12:00pm ​
Sunday, October 26th · 2:00 - 3:00pm
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Location
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Motel Capri
2015 Greenwich Street San Francisco
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Cost
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TAC members $30, non-members $35
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Photo courtesy of Renee Cocke
About This Event
Join us for an exclusive TAC tour experience at the renowned Antique Rug and Textile Show (ARTS)! Dive deep into the captivating world of antique rugs and ethnographic textiles, and explore the hidden treasures waiting in each unique room.
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Over the last decade, ARTS has solidified its reputation as the premier venue, both nationally and internationally, for authentic and unique antique rugs and ethnographic textiles. It has become an eagerly anticipated annual highlight for collectors and dealers alike.
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A Rich History: The ARTS show's roots trace back to the 1990s, when San Francisco's Motel Capri became the unofficial hub for rug dealers exhibiting at a major tribal-art fair. Inspired by this vibrant energy, one exhibitor envisioned a more relaxed, intimate, room-to-room showcase right at the motel. The first edition launched in 2011, initially spanning two weekends, before evolving into its now ideal, concise Friday-through-Sunday format. Fifteen years on, the show continues to attract esteemed dealers from across the globe, offering a unique opportunity to share expertise and allow visitors to experience exquisite rugs and textiles up close. It also warmly welcomes select tribal-art specialists, further broadening its ethnographic appeal.
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This TAC tour offers a special opportunity to explore this rich history and the exceptional offerings of the ARTS show. Don't miss your chance to delve into a world of unparalleled artistry and cultural heritage!
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Meet Your Tour Host: Renée Cocke
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Leading your TAC tour through the vibrant ARTS show will be Renée Cocke, a seasoned veteran and passionate advocate for antique rugs and ethnographic textiles. With over two decades of experience in the rug industry, her profound knowledge was cultivated during her long tenure at the esteemed KRIMSA fine rugs and décor on Union Street, and further refined by her business partner, renowned rug expert Paul Ramsey.
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As a dedicated TAC Board Member, Renée's commitment to the textile community is evident. Her intimate, yearly involvement with the ARTS Show provides unparalleled insight into its history, evolution, and unique treasures. With an extensive network, Renée knows every dealer, offering you exclusive access and enriching behind-the-scenes perspectives. Prepare to explore ARTS with an unparalleled guide who can illuminate the stories and significance behind each magnificent textile.
Photo courtesy of Renee Cocke
Photo courtesy of Renee Cocke
Event
November 8, 2025 Textile Bazaar
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St. Mary's Cathedral- Event Center
1111 Gough St. at Geary, San Francisco
10:00am - 4:00pm
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On November 8th we will once again be at St. Mary's Cathedral event center, hosting more than 30 vendors, including many old favorites and some exciting new additions.
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This truly unique event offers an extensive assortment of textiles, jewelry and home accessories from around the world and from the creative community in the Bay Area.
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Admission is free, the parking is plentiful and #38 Muni stops at the corner
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For more information please contact Shirley Juster at shirleyjuster.tac@gmail.com
Courtesy of Laura Wong
Map of St. Mary's Cathedral
International Tours
Tour to Northern Italy
April 13th to 20th, 2026
Procession of the Youngest King. Part of the series - The Procession of the Magi
Benozzo Gozzoli
1450
Tour to Milan, Florence and Points Between
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with the Textile Arts Council
and
Laura Camerlengo, Curator in Charge of Costume and Textile Arts at FAMSF
April 13th to 20th, 2026
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Please join us on a Spring tour to northern Italy, a region rich in textile traditions that are memorialized in the silk and embroidered finery depicted in Renaissance frescoes and paintings. These traditions continue to dazzle on haute couture runways.
DEADLINE:
The trip is filling up fast-if you'd like to join us, please register now by clicking on the registration link.
Bay Area Fiber Artists Archive
In 2021, TAC launched its Virtual Program Series dedicated to highlighting the lives and work of living Bay Area fiber artists through video documentaries and artists’ conversations.
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The first program focuses on Alice Beasley, an Oakland-based African American figurative quilter. It took place on August 15, 2021, premiering a video of Alice sharing her work process at her home and studio. In this project, TAC collaborated with the Tracing Patterns Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, dedicated to the advancement of textile arts.
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Our second program features Kay Sekimachi, an internationally renowned weaver who mentored many other Bay Area artists.
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The third program highlights San Francisco Bay Area mixed media artists Jean Cacicedo and Janet Lipkin who helped pioneer "Art to Wear," an art form designed around the body. Working with a series of studio visits, conversations with these artists, and perspectives from author and curator Melissa Leventon, this film is a tribute to the contributions, friendship, and influence of these two artists.
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In the fourth program, discover the arashi shibori based art of Ana Lisa Hedstrom and Judith Content. Using a 19th century process intended for commercial production of modest fabric for yukata robes, they have adapted the technique to make innovative and inspired works of art. Interviews with the artists, demonstrations of their techniques and commentary by artist and scholar Yoshiko Wada introduce the viewer to their artistic legacy.
Alice Beasley: Having Her Say
Living Art: Jean Cacicedo, Janet Lipkin
& The Evolution of Art to Wear
Kay Sekimachi Perspectives: Art, Legacy and Influence
Ana Lisa Hedstrom and Judith Content: Continuum In Cloth / Approaches to Contemporary Shibori
From the Museum: A New Exhibit
Embroidered Histories
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Spot sampler (detail), 1685, Germany. Linen, wool, silk; canvas, embroidery (buttonhole, cross, satin, and feather stitches, French knots), 22 x 9 3/8 in. (55.88 x 23.813 cm). Gift of George and Marie Hecksher, 2023.23. Photograph by Randy Dodson
Featuring favorite stitches and motifs, embroidery samplers have been used to teach needlework skills and literacy since the 14th century. By the 18th century, these textiles were viewed as works of art in their own right. This exhibition highlights European embroidery samplers from the 17th through 19th centuries in our collection. Through a close look at the samplers’ materials, techniques, and designs, Embroidered Histories explores economic, political, and social developments in Europe during these centuries
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