Try your hand at the traditional art of bobbin lacemaking, which developed out of complex braiding techniques more than four hundred years ago. Teaching artist Elena Kanagy-Loux will lead a discussion about the history of lacemaking using examples found in nineteenth century portraits featured in the exhibition American Perspectives, followed by a workshop in which students will learn to wind bobbins, set up their pillow, and work the foundational stitch of bobbin lace, known as cloth stitch or linen stitch, to create a little sampler in cotton thread. All materials will be provided. The program is limited to 10 individuals.

The Dialogue + Studio Workshop series offers participants opportunities to gain insight into and engage with self-taught art, past and present, at a deep level. Focused discussions about select themes, techniques, and materials featured in current exhibitions couple with related expert-led hands-on workshops.

Elena Kanagy-Loux was raised by Mennonites in Tokyo, where she was surrounded by traditional craft and DIY fashion. After receiving her BFA in Textile Design from FIT, she won a grant that funded a four-month trip to study lacemaking across Europe in 2015. Upon returning to New York City, she cofounded the Brooklyn Lace Guild, and began teaching bobbin lace classes at the Textile Arts Center. She recently completed her MA in Costume Studies at NYU, where she wrote her thesis on modern lacemaking culture. Currently, she is the collections specialist at the Antonio Ratti Textile Center at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Images: Eliza Gordon (detail), Ruth Whittier Shute (1803–1882) and Dr. Samuel Addison Shute (1803–1836); Peterborough, New Hampshire; c. 1833; watercolor and gouache on paper with applied gold paper; 24 5/8 x 19 in.; Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York. Photo by Gavin Ashworth.

Image courtesy of Elena Kanagy-Loux.