Creating cross-cultural connections and educational opportunities between wool and fiber producers, artisans, and the public.
The Flagstaff Wool & Fiber Festival is an annual celebration that connects the public to the rich cultural history of regional fiber arts. The largest festival of its kind in Arizona, the Festival attracts over 3,000 people from across the Southwest and the country to participate in cross-cultural connections and fiber arts immersion. The festival is free to the public and plays a vital role in supporting Northern Arizona’s creative economy.
Attendees have the opportunity to meet fiber-bearing animals, including heritage breeds like the Navajo-Churro sheep, observe shearing of local flocks, and learn about the process of producing fiber goods. Demonstrators present an opportunity to see how fiber is turned into items ranging from yarn to tapestries, and can be seen spinning wool, weaving fiber into fabric, and creating celebrated regional-specific fiber art such as Navajo rugs. Workshops allow participants to learn a craft on an intimate level. From spending thirty minutes dyeing a shibori scarf to three days studying weaving, hands-on educational opportunities are available for all ages and skill levels. A bustling vendor marketplace allows attendees to support small businesses run by artists and wool producers through the purchase of items ranging from raw wool to intricate garments. From historical context to finished objects, the festival is an opportunity to learn, celebrate, and connect with fiber arts.
History
Andrea Greene took on organizing the Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival in 2015. Under her leadership, and with the help of many dedicated volunteers, FWF grew into a thriving event and showcase of regional textile arts. Andrea later founded Four Corners Fiber Collective, a nonprofit based in Flagstaff which ran the festival for many years. In 2024, FCFC partnered with Threaded Together, another Flagstaff nonprofit, to produce the festival and facilitate a transition, so that FWF can continue to evolve with a new nonprofit home. Threaded Together's staff is excited to be working on such an important event for our local and regional fiber arts community, and looking forward to 2025 as our first year producing the festival solo!
Cultural Equity
Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of arts policy; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources. We are committed to honoring the values of cultural equity in the running of the Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival.
Attendees have the opportunity to meet fiber-bearing animals, including heritage breeds like the Navajo-Churro sheep, observe shearing of local flocks, and learn about the process of producing fiber goods. Demonstrators present an opportunity to see how fiber is turned into items ranging from yarn to tapestries, and can be seen spinning wool, weaving fiber into fabric, and creating celebrated regional-specific fiber art such as Navajo rugs. Workshops allow participants to learn a craft on an intimate level. From spending thirty minutes dyeing a shibori scarf to three days studying weaving, hands-on educational opportunities are available for all ages and skill levels. A bustling vendor marketplace allows attendees to support small businesses run by artists and wool producers through the purchase of items ranging from raw wool to intricate garments. From historical context to finished objects, the festival is an opportunity to learn, celebrate, and connect with fiber arts.
History
Andrea Greene took on organizing the Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival in 2015. Under her leadership, and with the help of many dedicated volunteers, FWF grew into a thriving event and showcase of regional textile arts. Andrea later founded Four Corners Fiber Collective, a nonprofit based in Flagstaff which ran the festival for many years. In 2024, FCFC partnered with Threaded Together, another Flagstaff nonprofit, to produce the festival and facilitate a transition, so that FWF can continue to evolve with a new nonprofit home. Threaded Together's staff is excited to be working on such an important event for our local and regional fiber arts community, and looking forward to 2025 as our first year producing the festival solo!
Cultural Equity
Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the development of arts policy; the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources. We are committed to honoring the values of cultural equity in the running of the Flagstaff Wool and Fiber Festival.