Welcome to the Ibero-American Textile Network!

The Ibero-American Textile Network - Redtextilia is a non-profit association dedicated to promoting knowledge and development of Ibero-American textile culture within its three branches of education, patrimony, and creation.

To achieve this goal, it develops communication strategies amongst its affiliates and interested public, thus broadcasting and promoting outstanding events in textile culture. Also, it supports, organizes, and promotes forum development, seminars, and other activities that enable exchange of knowledge and experiences.

The Network was born during the 4th International Biennial of Textile Art & Design organized by World Textile Art - formerly Women In Textile Art - WTA, the Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center, and the Spain Cultural Center in Costa Rica in September, 2006. It is formed by textile creators and individuals dedicated to textile culture in various countries of Latin America, Portugal, and Spain.

All persons interested in textile creation and culture in any country in the world, artists, crafts persons, designers, researchers, historians, curators, museography experts, gallery owners, museums, and/or cultural agents in support of events promoted within textile art, are cordially invited to belong to this Network.

Since its creation, Redtextilia has performed constant work in promoting and broadcasting textile culture. Among its communication strategies is a web site and virtual bulletin, TEXTILIA -a news broadcasting agent for exhibitions, conferences, courses, specialized articles, and bibliographic recommendations, among other articles. From its first edition it has become a reference document for the development of textile creation in Ibero-America thanks to an image-supported Chronology, which covers from 1940 to date, for which great researchers and artists contributed in its making. Soon it will be available in its expanded digital version.

In 2010, Redtextilia invites you to participate in its First Encounter to be held in Costa Rica from September 3 to 17 in the capital city of San José.

The Costa Rican Ministry of Culture & Youth has declared this Encounter an Event of Cultural Interest, and it obtained the sponsorship of important institutions such as the Spain Cultural Center, Mexico Cultural Institute, Veritas University, House of Culture "José Figueres Ferrer," the National University, the Omar Dengo Foundation, and the Cartago Municipal Museum.

The program for the First Encounter includes the Affiliates Ordinary General Assembly, exhibits, conferences, workshops with international experts; exposition of projects (previously registered and selected,) and a textile-interest trip to Panama.

The exhibits present various looks at textile creation, and have been planned within a walking radius of the east side of the capital city of San José, which facilitates viewing to participating local, and foreign public.

For more information, please go to our bulletin.

The Board of Directors of the Ibero-American Textile Network - Redtextilia is formed as follows:

• President: Paulina Ortiz, Costa Rica. Artist & textile designer, and cultural agent.
• Vice President: Andrea Fischer, Chile. Textile artist, installation artist & cultural agent, President of Chile Crea Textil Association.
• Secretary: Dinorah Carballo, Costa Rica. Artist & art historian.
• Treasurer: Máximo Laura, Perú. Textile artist.
• Comptroller: Juan Diego Roldán, Costa Rica. Graphic designer, Coordinator of the Sophia Wanamaker Galleries, Costa Rican-North American Cultural Center.
• Chair: Lala de Dios, Spain. President of the European Textile Network and the Textile Creators Association of Madrid; weaver, cultural agent, international consultant in crafts & textile design Issues.
• Chair: Yosi Anaya, Mexico. Professor at the University of Veracruz; textile artist & mixed-media artist.
• Chair: Martha Alvarez, Colombia. Designer; textile visual artist, researcher, crafts consultant.
• Honorary Founder: Pilar Tobón, Colombia & USA. President of WTA (formerly Women In Textile Art Organization, and presently World Textile Art,) textile artist and cultural agent.

Translation: Silvia Piza-Tandlich