Yvonne Osei, Africa Clothe Me Bare

About Us

We are a community of thousands of textile artists, curators, educators, and enthusiasts across 40 countries and 6 continents.

Keep scrolling to learn more about how SDA has been defining the world of contemporary fiber since 1976. Use the jump links below for quick navigation.

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What We Do

SDA promotes awareness and appreciation of fiber art and support to artists through publications, exhibitions, and events.

As an organization, we embrace fiber and textiles in the broadest terms including performance, social practice, and sound-based works.

Surface design can be defined as the coloring, patterning, and structuring of fiber and fabric. It is wide-ranging and encompasses paper-making, dyeing, sculpture, stitching, knitting, weaving, embellishing, collage, and so much more.

Our community encompasses the breadth and depth of contemporary artists and designers working with or inspired by fiber art and/or textile-based materials, methods, and techniques.

If you love textiles, you already belong! Learn more about becoming a member.

How it Started

As a result of a ground-breaking conference in 1976 at the University of Kansas, a group of artists worked to formalize an international organization focused on fiber arts. Committed to educate, inspire, and
cultivate opportunities, they formed the Surface Design Association in 1977. Early Board members included leaders in the field such as Jack Lenor Larsen, Gerhardt Knodel, and Glen Kaufman, Elsa Screenivasam, Pat Campbell, and many more.

For nearly 50 years, SDA has been a leader in the field of fiber arts, providing a platform for critical dialogue, innovation, learning, and mentorship to an audience of 100,000 annually. The SDA community is expansive, from makers and artists to academics and enthusiasts.

To learn more about surface design, check out this interview at the Art League with past SDA President Candace Edgerley and educator Julie Booth.

In 2023 we celebrated our 45th anniversary! Learn more about what we’ve been up to for the last 45+ years when you become a member with access to decades of our digital Journal archive.