Weave A Real Peace 2023 Annual Meeting
Threads of Connection: Exploring the Local to Global Textile Community
Kent State University, Ohio: July 13-16
WARP’s Annual Meeting brings members together for education, fellowship, and networking. This year’s meeting will be held on the Kent State University (KSU) campus July 13-16. Our 2023 theme is Threads of Connection: Exploring the Local to Global Textile Community. For this conference, WARP will host presenters from the local and international textile community. In addition to a great lineup of speakers, we have a number of fun networking opportunities including our annual Welcome Circle, a WARP members exhibition reception, a live auction and fashion show, international vendor marketplace, an optional hands-on workshop, and bus tour to the Cleveland Museum of Art.
This year's meeting is open to members only. We welcome new members to join & register for the annual meeting. If you are interested in attending this year's meeting, please become a member here.
Conference Costs
Meeting Registration: This cost includes speaker fees, program facility fees, and meals. This year, we have a special Student Rate! For anyone interested in attending just the Saturday program, we also have a Single Day Registration option.
- Full Meeting Registration is $325
- Student Rate is $180 (for any full-time students).
- Saturday Day Pass is $90 (Includes lunch, dinner, speaker presentations, evening auction/fashion show event, and day parking pass.)
- Virtual Attendance Saturday is free to members. We will be live-streaming our full Saturday program - though there is no cost, we ask you to register so that you will receive communication and the zoom links.
Housing: The campus housing option is now closed.
Optional Add-ons: There are several optional add-ons, listed below. You will be able to make these selections when you complete the registration form:
- Optional tours of the KSU Design Innovation Hub and the KSU May 4, 1970 Visitors Center. No cost, but requires pre-registration.
- Optional hands-on "Fun with Lasers!" workshop at the KSU Design Innovation Hub (Workshop Details Below). Workshop takes place on Friday, July 14th 1-4 pm: Workshop cost is $45
- Optional Bus Tour to Cleveland Museum of Art on Friday, July 14th from 1-5 pm: Bus trip cost is $30 (Trip Details Below)
- Optional Weekend Parking Pass: $10
Additional Details
Meals: Provided meals will accommodate all dietary needs. Full meeting registration includes breakfast & dinner in the campus dining hall on Friday and Saturday, with box lunches, and a catered breakfast buffet on Sunday. For meals on your own, there are a variety of options within walking distance of KSU. Please see Kat’s list above for local recommendations.
WARP's Annual Auction: We are gearing up for our much anticipated annual auction! This year we will have a live auction during the Annual Meeting in July, and also an online silent auction in August. For both auction events, we are seeking gently used or new ethnic textiles and clothing. We also include books, baskets, handmade jewelry, textile related handmade pictures, and other items related to WARP’s mission. Please check your drawers, closets, and studios for treasures that you would like to donate. If you are attending the Annual Meeting, you may bring your auction donations with you. For those who are not attending in person, but would like to make a donation, we will be sending out a donation request form by email. In the meantime, if you have something you are ready to contribute, please contact us at info@weavearealpeace.org.
2023 Fashion Show: Share the WARP stage on Saturday night by being part of a fun and casual fashion show! Bring something wearable you’ve made, or a textile treasure you've brought back from around the world. When you register, we'll give you a 3"x5" card to write out 2-3 sentences about what it is, how it was made, who made it, and so forth. Humor encouraged but not required. Limit 2 pieces per person, and it's fine to recruit a model if you wish. Join us for this fun evening event and appreciate all our talent and taste.
Vendor Marketplace: The International Marketplace will have textiles from around the world! This is a WONDERFUL place to purchase gifts (for yourself or others). You may want to consider doing your holiday shopping 6 months early this year!
Optional Hands-On Workshop: Fun with Lasers! In this workshop, participants will explore possible applications of the laser cutter in various fiber disciplines such as weaving, sewing, surface design, piecework, and embellishment. You will learn how a laser cutter works, build a digital file with free user-friendly software, and experiment with their design. You will leave with a variety of laser-cut tools, including a frame loom, several shuttles, and clamps for dyeing. You will also create engraved fabric samples that are made with the laser cutter. No experience needed! Workshop cost is $45. You will have the chance to select this hands on workshop option when you complete registration.
Optional Bus trip to Cleveland Museum of Art: Another of our Friday afternoon options is a visit to one of the renowned art museums in the US, the Cleveland Museum of Art. With over 45,000 pieces in their collections, there is a great deal to see and enjoy. A bus will pick you up right after lunch, take you to the museum (about an hour drive), wait while you explore the riches there for approximately two hours, then bring you back in time to attend the formal reception for the WARP exhibit at the KSU Downtown Gallery. Or, for those who prefer, the bus will take you back to the dorms, where you can rest before dinner at 7:00pm. Fare for the roundtrip will be $30; museum entrance is free. Please note: we have a private collection tour scheduled with a museum curator, which is limited to the first 20 registrants.
Optional May 4, 1970 Visitors Center Tour: As many WARP members will remember, Kent State University went down in history as where the National Guard shot and killed four students during protests on May 4, 1970. The university has responded in a magnificent way in the half-century since, and the May 4 Center and The School of Peace and Conflict Studies are very visible evidence of their efforts. The Center will be open 9-5 on Thursday and Friday of our meeting, and visiting the Center is another option for those open afternoons. They offer a self-guided walking tour any time, and have also offered a live guide if arranged in advance. If you are interested, please check that option on your registration. There is no charge.
Meeting Schedule
Thursday, July 13th: Conference check-in will be open from 12-6 pm, with optional tours of the KSU May 4 Visitors Center at 2:30 and KSU Design Innovation Hub at 4 pm. The 2023 meeting will open with WARP’s annual Welcome Circle at 7 pm.
Friday, July 14th: The program will begin following breakfast on Friday morning with presentations from Jessica Pinksy of Cleveland's Praxis Fiber Workshop, and Scholarship recipients. Following lunch, there is an optional hands-on workshop in the KSU Design Innovation Hub, an optional bus tour to the Cleveland Museum of Art, an optional tour of the KSU May 4 Visitors Center, and those who wish to simply enjoy free time can catch up with fellow WARP members, visit the Vendor Marketplace, and visit local points of interest. On Friday evening, we will have an exhibition reception for the member's exhibition at the KSU Downtown Gallery, followed by dinner.
Saturday, July 15th: The day will feature a marathon of fantastic speakers related to this year’s theme, Threads of Connection: Exploring the Local to Global Textile Community. This program will also be broadcast on Zoom for those who are unable to attend in person. Speakers include Janice Lessman-Moss, John Paul Morabito, the Rustbelt Fibershed, Faanware, Esperanza Threads, Reggie Meredith Fitiao, and Weaving for the Future Cooperative. Click here to view the full program.
The evening activities will include a fashion show featuring YOU and your “textile that tells a tale” and the much anticipated highlight: the annual live auction.
Sunday, July 16th: After breakfast, we will have the 2023 Annual Business Meeting, followed by a closing WARP presentation by WARP Member Norma Schafer, founder of Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. WARP's 2023 Annual Meeting will conclude at noon.
WARP’s International Marketplace will be open at select times throughout the conference.
Click Here to Register
Please email any questions to info@weavearealpeace.org
Meeting Cancellation Policy: 97% of the registration fee is refundable through May 15, 2023. (WARP is unable to refund a 3% bank fee for meeting registration cancellations.) From May 16th until May 30, 2023 there will be a refund of 50%. After May 30, 2023, there will be no refund.
WARP’s mission is to foster a global network of enthusiasts who value the importance of textiles to grassroots economies. Our purpose is to exchange information, raise awareness of the importance of textile traditions to grassroots economies, mobilize textile enthusiasts and create conversations that result in action. Learn more at Weave a Real Peace.
WARP reserves the right to use photographs and video taken at WARP events for marketing purposes including, but not limited to, on social media, on our various websites, and in print and/or e-mail marketing campaigns. By registering for a WARP event, you authorize WARP to use your likeness without additional permission for these purposes.
