FWM Forward: Evolving the Fabric Workshop at 50

The Fabric Workshop and Museum

fabric-workshop-and-museum-carlos-avendano-web — The Fabric Workshop and Museum's Print Project Manager Jill Adler (at right), screenprints Mary Heilmann’s Serape yardage with Studio Assistant Andrea Arts and Senior Project Technician Allen West (at right). Photo by Carlos Avendaño.

Fabric Workshop and Museum Shop Assistants Olivia Chiaravalli (at left) and Morgan Medl show off the FWM Store’s display of hand-printed yardage. Photo by Carlos Avendaño.

Katie Parry, Fabric Workshop and Museum Public Education Program Manager (at left), leads a screenprinting workshop in partnership with BlackStar Projects. Photo by Carlos Avendaño.

Recipient

Grant Year

Grant Amount $72,000

Status Forthcoming

Updated March 10, 2026

As it approaches its 50th anniversary, The Fabric Workshop and Museum explores opportunities to expand artist and community access as an institution “committed to sharing both process and product.” With guidance from consultants and thinking partners in the museum field, FWM develops a plan that will grow earned revenue while delivering increased value, leading to successful entrepreneurial practices and greater sustainability.

The total grant amount represents project funding plus an additional 20% in unrestricted general operating support.

Recipient

The Fabric Workshop and Museum

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is an internationally recognized art museum with an active studio and artist-in-residence program. Research, construction, and fabrication occur on site in studios that are open to the public. Founded in 1977, FWM initially invited visual artists to Philadelphia to experiment with fabric in its workshops, and it later expanded tools to accommodate a wide range of innovative materials and media. Resident artists over the years have included Laurie Anderson, Mark Bradford, Louise Bourgeois, Glenn Ligon, Ed Ruscha, Yinka Shonibare, Sarah Sze, and dozens of others.

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