Two Chandler artists who work with textiles believe Arizona needs a center to help unify all fiber artists with education, exhibitions, a library and much more.

With a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Debra Kay held a focus group of artists who work in all kinds of fiber including weavers, knitters, crocheters, quilters, quillers, felters, tatters, tufters and many more.

Through her research, she discovered that although Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the U.S., it lacked an art center or museum specifically dedicated to fiber arts — a feature that larger cities and several smaller ones had.

Kay saw an opportunity to cultivate a vibrant community around this artistic medium, potentially enriching the cultural landscape of Phoenix and providing a hub for local fiber artists.

Kay and Laurie Fagen, both art quilters, began the arduous process of launching a nonprofit organization called Fiber Arts Center AZ, putting together a governing board and planning programs for the coming years, according to news release.

“We’ve heard from so many fiber artists from around the state who are very excited about this project,” Fagen, FAC’s vice-president, said in the release. “We hope to be able to bring in national instructors and send them around the state to fiber guilds that might not be able to afford them on their own.”

The “Best of FAC,” an online fiber exhibition and fundraiser, was open to members through Nov. 15.

A two-day class with art quilter Vicki Conley is scheduled for Jan. 30-31, 2025 at the Tempe Public Library.

“The ultimate goal will be to have a large space with classrooms, an exhibition gallery, a dyeing studio, and a gift shop,” Kay, who is president, explains. “We are looking for donors who believe in our mission and can support us through the early years.”

The organization’s mission statement is to be “a fine arts organization promoting fiber arts and serving the community through education, exhibitions and honoring cultural heritages.”

A founding-member campaign is underway until the end of the year where members can join for $50 to help the organization get off the ground. The FAC already has members from the United States and Canada.

The FAC has launched a website, FiberArtsCenterAZ.org, and is on Facebook at Fiber Arts Center AZ and Instagram at @fiberartscenteraz. To learn more or get involved in upcoming events, email FiberArtsCenterAZ@gmail.com.

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