Programs and Keynotes

Below are the titles and descriptions for a variety of topics appropriate for guild programs and conference seminars. They range in duration from one to three hours and can be customized in content and length to meet your specific needs. Optional handouts, as indicated, are available for a modest fee.

Ikat
What is ikat? What are its origins? How is it created? Is it really worth all of the extra time and effort to make it? This seminar provides an interesting and exciting overview of ikat makers and ikat cloth production around the globe. Mary has travelled to many countries to work with ikat dyers and weavers, and shares fascinating stories and insights about the historical currency of this beautiful and exotic cloth.

Class size: Unlimited
Level: All 

The Power of Cloth
In this inspirational lecture Mary Zicafoose will share a selection of her favorite stories tracing the impact of textiles on her life. Recounting her experience of a life changing meeting with a symbol shaman in Peru, Mary discusses her mission as an artist to unravel and evolve the visual codes of archetypal symbols through the creation of transformative textiles. Over time her carpets and their symbolically driven stories have gradually migrated up the wall, and today these contemporary tapestries are collected and exhibited worldwide. She is proudly one of a handful of contemporary weft-Ikat weavers whose distinct voice has demystified intricate textile processes, stimulating new directions in the field of contemporary tapestry.

Class size: Unlimited 
Level: All

Symbols
Man has always been drawn to and spoken through symbols. They are profound expressions of human nature and occur in all cultures at all times, surfacing and repeating themselves again and again. Each epoch discovers the sun anew and stitches its brilliance into their cloth. This inspirational seminar traces the use of familiar archetypal symbols found in handwork over the ages, investigating their voice and impact on the world. Outstanding examples of textiles from many cultures and many hands reinforces the importance of personal symbols in our life and creative work. Handouts with personal symbol exercises are available on request.

Class size: Unlimited 
Level: All, handouts available

Weaver & Mystic: Women and Textiles
Through the ages it is women who have spun and dyed, woven and sewn the garments of paupers and kings. Women have also quietly carried the torch of vision and leadership as prophetess, oracles, teachers and seers. This program inquires into the cultural role of the female in articulating age-old messages and planetary themes through the use of intuition, spiritual guidance and the manipulation of fiber.

Class size: Unlimited 
Level: All 

Un-warping: Re-weaving Your Life Tapestry
This seminar provides participants with a stimulating and reflective forum to identify and reinforce creative goals & purpose, rewrite personal scripts, learn techniques for stress management and renew for weaving, career, family life, and personal growth. It is a golden opportunity to step out of one’s life for a few hours and mentally clean house and redecorate. Handouts, exercises and resources galore are available for ample recharging.

Class size: Unlimited 
Level: All, handouts available 

Designing for the Wow!
How do you design non loom-controlled tapestries & rugs? Where do you begin? When do you stop? How much is too much? Learn the foundation design steps to convert great visual ideas into sound, structurally integrated textiles. Mary Zicafoose shares her journey of 35 years behind the loom, helping you give voice to your personal direction and designs.

Class Size: 24 
Level: All, handouts available

Dyeing Wool for the WOW!
How do you make fabulous color for fabulous weaving? Students learn safe and repeatable procedures using Pro Wash Fast Acid Dyes for protein fibers in woolen wearables, tapestry, and rugs. This class is geared for the first-time dyer or for refreshing your dye skill sets. Students will leave armed with the tools, information, and confidence to create custom color in their handwork. This is a demonstration seminar requiring use of a dye facility.

Class Size: 24 
Level: All, handouts available

Off Loom: Finishing, Packing, and Shipping Your Treasures
Cutting the piece off the loom is only the halfway point! This seminar deals with the very important final decisions, details, and techniques to create beautifully finished garments, tapestries & rugs for exhibition and sale.

Class Size: 24 
Level: All, handouts available

Presentation Rates & Fees

Programs, Seminars, & Guild talks: $350

Keynote rate: Individually negotiated

Other expenses to be covered include:

• Round trip transportation from Omaha, NE
• Baggage fees and workshop supply shipping costs
• All meals 
• Lodging, I am comfortable in the home of a guild member, with private bedroom and bathroom
• I am a pleasant and easy guest who loves dogs, and is allergic to cats. A life-long vegetarian, I enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and do not need to be entertained.