The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum

Washington, DC had a small, but established textile museum near Dupont Circle for most of the 20^th century. In 2014 it closed and in 2015 it reopened as a new entity in a combination custom designed new building and renovated historic space on the George Washington University campus. The new museum claims to combine the old textile institution with the local history collection donated by Albert H. Small; unfortunately, at least as currently installed there is no synergy between the two components and the sum is somehow less than the value of each part. Indeed, the striking feature of their two floor special exhibit on China currently installed was the very small part that textiles played in the display. The so-​called Washingtoniana display was no more convincing and no space was dedicated to regular displays of any of the textile treasures they hold in their permanent collection. The building is accessible and has a (rather pricey) gift shop.

Great museum that is hidden in the midst of the university! Donations are welcome.
There are 3 levels to this museum. First level isn’t much except for the shop… The upper two levels are where everything is. A spiral staircase takes you up to the exhibits. There is also an elevator if you don’t feel like walking. But walking up gives you a good vantage point. The exhibit areas are very opens and well laid out. I was very impressed with how much could fit in but it didn’t feel overwhelming. Its a very good use of space.
As you head to the third level, there is a nice view of the lower level. Again a nice vantage point of the exhibit below.
All in all I very much enjoyed this museum. Out of the way and not as crowded. Another opportunity to learn something new…

This is a wonderful textile museum. (The name is misleading– the exhibits have nothing to do with GWU).
Their current main exhibit: «China: Through the Lens of John Thomson» is quite extraordinary:
A large collection (2 floors) of stunning photographs of China from 1868– 1872. Beautiful garments, rugs, and other textiles from that period accompany the photographs.
Kudos to the curator who has arranged this magnificent presentation worthy of a major show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art!
The exhibit was so fascinating that I was there for some hours, soaking in every detail.
It is a must for anyone interested in China and in the history of photography.
Who could believe that photographs from the 1860s could be so gorgeous: sharp and stunning!

This is an interesting museum. There is an exhibit upstairs on the history of Washington DC which includes maps on the diversity of DC and comparisons in size to other cities. Also, the museums house a number of exhibits on textiles with tablet pc presentations that explain the exhibits.

We went for the textile museum’s festival. Very cool, not to be missed!
There were craft activities that were good for kids and adults. Dancers and musicians lined a beautiful grassy&sunny lawn. Demonstrations of all kids fun taught us lots. All free!
Will go back.

I have been here several times for the same reason: Central Asian Textiles. Most of the exhibits and lectures and tours revolve around Central Asian Textiles and African Textiles. The closest metro is Dupont Q Street Exit and it is a quite walk. It is located near or on Embassy Row next to the Embassy of Ireland, Myanmar, and Costa Rica.
I came here for the ikat exhibit and for a lecture about Central Asian Textiles. The crowd is quite older, but it is fascinating how some of the patrons and attendees know about textiles! The tour was interesting with the curator going into detail about what the different colors, cuts, and patterns meant. I attended a lecture about Central Asia Textiles and it was pretty cool! The lecturer, Steven Price, discussed the use of silk in the textiles and how the silk was used in certain pieces and what the silk meant economically, socially and culturally. Also attendees offered to display some of their own pieces. Most of the pieces came from Uzbekistan, but there were some gorgeous ones from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The museum is free and they often ask for a donation, but it is not compulsory. They also offer complimentary tea, coffee, and muffins. I will be coming back soon once another lecture or exhibit about Central Asian Textiles comes around!

Fabulous little museum! Very informative exhibits that really explain the nature of the art. The current exhibit on «Green» is quite amusing and illuminating. The hands on area is surprisingly fun informative and engaging. Spent a wonderful two hours there. Plus the small gift shop has top notch, unique gifts. Go check out this gem!

I had a lot of fun visiting this museum. There is a suggested donation for admission, so give what you can. The collection is great — very high quality objects which are excellent examples of their styles. However, I was a bit disappointed that so many of their «blockbuster» pieces (mainly the Islamic textiles and rugs that I’ve seen in so many of my textbooks over the years) were not on view. Oh well, I guess I’ll have to go back :)
Oh, and the shop is terrific — definitely a good place to find gifts. If you’re a member of the Smithsonian or one of the other museums in the reciprocal network, you’ll get a 10% discount.

This place is called the Textile Museum, and you would expect there to be a lot of perhaps historical textiles or displays like that. This isn’t that kind of museum, although they did have some historical pieces on display. This is more of an art museum (a modern one at that,) and that’s something to keep in mind when you go.
Gift shop is overpriced and doesn’t really have all that great a selection other than books. The books are quite extensive, but it’s odd to see books on knitting and quilting, when there’s barely any of that actually on display in the museum.
Parking is pretty much nonexistant.

Are you interested in clothes! Well, who isn’t? So get up and check out the awesome exhibits/​crafts going on here!
For my first visit, I bought a ticket for the night that the Central Asian Ikat exhibit closed. The museum was open 6−9pm (outside normal hours) and had some wine, snacks, and a tour! I really liked that they had a small craft (sewing owls from felt and embroidery floss) that all could participate in to donate to the Ronald McDonald house.
When I looked back at the yearly overview, I saw that there had been free classes about Ikat weaving (and dyeing) that you could participate in! I was sad to miss it, but learned my lesson and will keep an eye out for future opportunities for fun with textiles.
Since it’s tucked away from Dupont (and way far removed from the National Mall) the people who go tend to be the type of people who really would make the effort to head out to an interesting (and off-​the-​beaten-​path) kinda museum. In short, they’re really interesting and easy to talk to. Also – you just get less tourists than other museums… just sayin’. Some days you just want a quiet museum visit without shrieking children/​parents/​etc.
Leave at least an hour just to absorb the beautiful sights in this museum. While it’s free, it’s hard not to donate to such an important pillar of the arts!

Beautiful! Stumbled upon this place purely by accident when the Philips collection was overcrowded. You’ll be getting a ton of information on something pretty specific and an eyeful of some amazing workmanship.
Usually only has one or two exhibits open at a time with no permanent exhibit. No pictures allowed due to the delicate nature of the exhibits. I saw the Central Asia Ikat exhibit (very bright, intricately dyed robes, basically like hardcore tie-​dye), which was very informative and breathtaking. (Picture from exhibit site:
)
The museum gift shop is one of the most expensive (but very cool) shops I’ve ever been to. $ 30 for a little woven finger puppet? $ 15 for soap wrapped in dyed thread? Eye opening scarves, purses, pillow cases and other knick knacks. Picture of shop
This museum is free, with a suggested donation of $ 8.

A city as large and diverse as Washington, D.C. is bound to have many hidden jewels in its crown of great places. The Textile Museum is one of DC’s smaller hidden jewels. Located in a quiet stately neighborhood just a couple of blocks from the hustle and bustle of Connecticut Ave and Dupont Circle, this small museum is a wonderful place for short but interesting visit followed by lunch or coffee at one of Dupont’s many eating and drinking establishments.
I visited the museum with a friend to partake in a tour of the current exhibit, «Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats,» by the curator herself. These ikats are impressive colorful robes (and other clothing, but mostly robes/​coats) from Uzbekistan. That’s what I love about museums — being able to discover and learn about something cool from the other side of the world about which you previously had absolutely no knowledge.
Suggested donation for the museum is $ 8. You can throw $ into the box (get change from the lady at the desk if need be) or charge it.

This place is an absolute treasure. The collections that come through the museum are great for connoisseurs, as well as a nice option for a general audience interested in a particular exhibit or looking to get away from the big museums downtown. Oh, and it’s free.
Here are some hints for getting the most out of your visit: 1) check the website beforehand to see if you might be interested in the exhibits on display, because the museum is small and generally only accommodates one or two exhibits; 2) check if the garden is open, because it’s a beautiful place to sit outside or look over the roofs of embassy row; and 3) definitely take 15 minutes to explore the museum shop, one the most unique and best curated shops in the city. The museum does have an interactive display upstairs for kids, though the exhibits themselves are obviously not, and can be especially tempting for little hands.
Once you’re there, the museum is also a perfect base to take walks through embassy row, or to go into Dupont Circle.
If you’re coming from the Dupont Circle metro, walk north up Connecticut, towards Q, R, and S streets. At the corner of Connecticut and Florida, look for a smaller street branching off to the left, up a hill. That’s S street, and will take you to the Textile Museum. You’ll have to walk up the hill, and then down slightly, and the museum will be on the left. There is often reasonably convenient parking in the area as well.
Full disclosure: though I don’t actually work at the museum, I am a donating member.

Visiting the Textile Museum was a real treat.
Great setting, and a wonderful exhibit of mid-​century fabrics by female designers. The temporary exhibits were beautifully curated with descriptive text that placed each piece within a fully articulated context.
Please note that this is a relatively small museum and any secondary conversations you may be having on cell phones, or with each other, are impossible to ignore. Two women blathered on the entire time I was there «Oooh, that’s a pretty blue. I love blue. My daughter has such a nice blue blouse, too bad she married that man.» «Well, that is a nice blue but my kitty would enjoy shredding it, you couldn’t put it on a couch! That’s all I have to say.» It wasn’t the museum’s fault, but that was most definitely NOT all they had to say…
In any case, this is a fantastic place to visit if you have any interest in fabric, history, fashion or even just beautiful Kalorama mansions. Totally worth the trip.

After hiking my way uphill, downhill, and through neighborhoods and side streets, I FINALLY made it to the Textile Museum from the DuPont Metro. It really isn’t THAT bad of a walk, but be prepared to put in some work to get there. However, it is well worth the journey. When I finally made it there, after walking past the many amazing houses and embassies on S Street, I was greeted by a kind and friendly staff. Want to know the best part of this museum? Unlike so many non-​Smithsonian museums in the District, it was FREE! Of course, donations are appreciated.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from my visit to the Textile Museum. It wasn’t exactly on my list of «Places to See Before I Die,» but there was a special exhibit of contemporary Japanese fashion designers that sparked my interest. This exhibit is a must-​see for any fashion mavens out there! It features the works of Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, and Rei Kawakuba. Unfortunately, this exhibit will be coming to a close soon, but don’t fret! In addition to permanent collections, they also have special exhibits that come around often. Just keep an eye out for something that catches your interest. I did make my way to the second floor to see the different pieces they display which included rugs and tapestries among other works of art. One of my few gripes was that they had a section that featured special textiles and fabrics hanging on the wall. In the middle next to an information board was a small piece of fabric that you could touch, but of course you have those other larger pieces covering the wall that you want to wrap yourself in, but you’re not allowed to lay a finger on them! Such a tease!
There’s a «learning center» which gives visitors the opportunity to learn and try their hand at different aspects of the textile industry. They also have a store which sells books, fabrics, jewelry, clothing, and other things. Although a little too pricey for my taste, I’m sure there’s something for the true textile connoisseur. This place is definitely one of those less explored and often overlooked museums. Although it is small and a little out of the way, it’s definitely worth the trek for anyone who has a day to waste and wants to spend some time away from tourists. I heard they have an amazing garden, which I didn’t have time to explore. Plus, you have a scenic route allowing you to explore Embassy Row while walking down the street towards Massachusetts and onward.

I really enjoy the Textile Museum, which is embedded in a slew of gorgeous embassy buildings. However, the Museum pulls its weight, with gorgeous architecture, a lush and picturesque garden, and, of course, interesting and beautiful fabrics from around the world. The shop was pretty good, considering the size of the museum; however, I think I just expected more from it all. More of the collection, more at the shop. The whole experience, despite being a wonderful one, just seemed incomplete.
However, I did really love the Museum, and think it’s worth while to trek to Kalorama for. You don’t even need to like textiles. Just go for the sheer purpose of being around style and grace.

Since we stayed at Embassy Circle Guest House we met a couple that were staying the night and had an exhibit at the Textile Museum. We had to check out the Textile Museum plus it’s FREE.
The man was Scottish weaver Archie Brennan and his stuff is fun and really good. The exhibit is called «Private Pleasures: Collecting Contemporary Textile Art» going on Sept 28, 2007-​Feb 17, 2008.
Breenan’s American Gotham is on the cover and it’s really cool tapestry making fun of Grant Wood’s American Gothic iconic painting.
Also on exhibit is «Textiles of Klimt’s Vienna» Aug 3, 2007-​Jan 6, 2008.
Recommended.

A quaint, well organized museum in DC that exhibits some of the best collections of textiles in the world.
My favorite was the Indonesian Ikkat textiles they had up here some time ago. Vibrant & intricate. Of course, there is NO touching allowed.
The museum also has a wonderful gift shop that carries some gorgeous textiles from all over the world (very drool worthy especially if you’re a world traveler who appreciates foreign textiles). A lot of work from American weavers & silk screen painters is also available here.

Besides my Thursday night addiction to Ugly Betty, I usually have zero interest in fashion or fabrics of any kind. But I found this museum to be surprisingly enjoyable, for a variety of reasons.
For science/​tech folks, there’s a hands-​on room where you (and your kids) can learn some of the science and technology behind textiles. E.g. you can touch the cocoons where silk comes from (eww!) and you can see how looms work and how different patterns are made.
For history buffs, the collection ranges from contemporary works to items thousands of years old. The blurbs give the historical context. E.g. you can marvel at the fact that cochineal dye was one of colonial Mexico’s major exports to the Old World. Producing this crimson dye required pulling tens of thousands of insects off of cactuses — extremely delicate, intensive, and expensive manual labor! Ultra-​wealthy Europeans would show off by using cochineal-​dyed red clothes and red carpets.
For anthropology buffs, the museum has works from around the globe, usually with blurbs explaining the items’ cultural importance. E.g. in parts of Tunisia, young girls weave and wear their own intricately-​patterned shawls of white wool and white cotton. Because the shawls are woven white on white, you can’t really see the patterns. But when the girl gets married, she gets to dye her shawl: wool absorbs the red dye while cotton resists it, making the glorious patterns visible. So wearing a plain white vs. patterned red shawl is one way to signal whether one is single or married. Kind of interesting, no? And it’s also interesting that the young girl’s handiwork isn’t appreciated until she gets married! What a bummer if she stays single and never gets to show off the cool pattern she spent so much time creating!
For literary folks, the blurbs discuss items’ symbolism and meaning. E.g. They suggest that the Whitman-​Walker Clinic/​UNAIDS/​Gap/​Bono AIDS campaigns use red ribbons and clothes, because red blood both transmits the virus and is what binds us all together as humans.
Finally, for folks who just like to look at aesthetically pleasing art, the Textile Museum has many works of wondrous beauty! E. g check out this small, gorgeous 16^th-​century fabric from Iran, woven with a love poem:
The Textile Museum also has family events, gallery talks, movies (for the Red exhibit they’re showing Kieslowski’s Red and Beatty’s Reds), etc.
Best of all, the museum is FREE! (Though it’s nice to put a donation in the collection box).

Fabric, fabric and more fabric. That’s what you can find at one of DC’s lesser known museums. Since it is far from the fray of the Mall and Smithsonians, it is a nice respite if you’re looking for a place to see handmade textile arts. If you were ever wondering about how textiles are made and even why they are significant (what is so great about a Persian rug, anyway?) this is the museum for you.
Admission is free, but they do request a five dollar donation. Inside there are two galleries. The first, the Activity Gallery is my favorite of the two. Here you can not only look but touch. One of the learning stations explains where natural dyes come from. The other gallery is the Collections Gallery where the textiles from around the world are displayed. There are thousands rugs and textiles, some dating back to BC. Now, that’s an old rug!
Be sure to allow time to take a walk through the beautiful garden that is behind the museum if it is a nice day.