Are you a tapestry weaver? If you’re reading this I’d say chances are good that you are.

Do you belong to the American Tapestry Alliance?

You might not be aware of American Tapestry Alliance and all the benefits of becoming a member. Here’s 5 reasons why I suggest you should join.

Networking

There are a number of networking opportunities when you join ATA. One of my favorites is the postcard exchange. Participating members are randomly paired and encourage to get to know each other as they design and weave a postcard to swap. There’s one going on right now actually. You can register here. If you’re on Facebook there’s a private group to check out. Also, new this year is the Member Meetup every other month. This has been hugely popular so far. They are offered live via zoom and are a fun way to get to know other tapestry weavers. I just read where Tommye Scanlin will be the guest for the May Meetup. Maybe I’ll “see” you there?

Exhibition Opportunities

There are a couple of members only shows, like the un-juried “Tiny But Mighty” exhibit or the virtual “Digislam” and member-discounted opportunities like the American Tapestry Biennial. Check out all the options here.

Discounts

I don’t even know where to begin on discounts. There are so many! I counted 13 just now. They’re only listed in the members area that I could find, so I’ll include a few of them here to whet the appetite! A number of yarn companies such as Gist and weaversbazaar offer discounts as well as others like Elizabeth Buckley’s Anahera. Both Mirrix and Schacht currently have a 20% discount on looms, and Rebecca Mezoff and myself are included with 10% off select classes. Any one of these discounts might add up to well over the price of membership!

Education

In terms of education, the website alone is a gold mine. When I first discovered ATA after being away from the tapestry world (if I was ever really a part of it!) - I tried to read every article I could find on their website! I’ll never achieve that goal; there are far too many when you also take into account the members only “Tapestry Topics” publication. “Members only” have access to the most recent 2 years. And anyone can access the archives. Why not check out some of the past issues. If the discounts haven’t already got you convinced, this should! I recently coordinated the current issue on Collaboration: Working Together. Tapestry Topics has some wonderful articles, including an interview I did with Victoria Manganiello. I was given permission to share it here to encourage your to join!

And more… the Speaker series and Ambassador programs - plus there are members only ATA workshops: Kathe Todd-Hooker is teaching the next one this fall. I participated in the one with Fiona Hutchison (and wrote about it here) last summer after Convergence; very energizing!

In addition to all this, if you join at a Studio Circle level, you also have the opportunity to work with a mentor. At no extra cost to you! I can personally attest to the vast number of very accomplished tapestry artists standing by to offer their help and guidance. I did a mentorship (with Terry Stewart) early on after becoming a member to catch up on what I had missed over the years. It was a wonderful experience. I’m currently doing another one with Mary Lane; learning about how to design for tapestry using photoshop.

Awards

Among several other awards, the Painter Brown Scholarship is only open to members and a fabulous opportunity to get financial assistance with furthering your tapestry education. Been wanting to take a class but struggling with the financial commitment? Check it out. The deadline is coming up soon: March 31st. If you miss it, there’s another at the end of September.

All this at the entry level Individual Membership for only $35 a year. And for just $25 more, you can join at the Studio Circle level which includes an Artist Page and (huge value) participation in the Mentorship program. Just browse through the Artist Pages and take a look at some of the talent and expertise existing within.

Are you a member of ATA already?

What’s your favorite reason to join?