WASHINGTON, DC.- This year, The Textile Museum celebrates its centennial, as well as a decade since it reopened as The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum on the university's Foggy Bottom campus. Founded in 1925 by George Hewitt Myers (1875-1957), The Textile Museum was originally housed in two historic buildings in D.C.'s Kalorama neighborhood.

Two concurrent exhibitions illustrate the museum's dual role as a world leader in the study and appreciation of textiles, as well as a 21st-century laboratory for students, faculty, artists, and scholars to engage with the collection in new ways.


Photo by Abby Greenawalt.

"The museum’s vision is to inspire and engage communities by celebrating the creative achievements of local and global cultures across time," says John Wetenhall, director, The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum. "This is the latest in our series of exhibitions that demonstrate the deep and dynamic engagement our museum has with communities on campus and around the world."

"Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles," on view through December 20, 2025, explores the cultural significance of about 60 masterworks from The Textile Museum's renowned collection of some 21,000 handmade textiles, which represents five continents and five millennia.

"Source Material: Lessons in Responsible Fashion," on view through April 11, 2026, was inspired by exhibition curator Katrina Orsini's trailblazing course ‘Responsible Fashion,’ presented through the university’s sustainability minor, and GW’s Responsible Fashion Collective, a student organization that she advises.

Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles

From royal robes to ceremonial carpets, "Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles" presents exceptional textiles that reveal traditions and values of communities around the globe. Works by contemporary artists are also paired with historical textiles that inspired them.


Photo by Pulok Pramanik/the George Washington University.

Curated by Sumru Belger Krody, Lee Talbot and Shelley Burian, "Enduring Traditions" magnifies the cultural significance of the works displayed over two floors and explores how they express the identity, lifestyles, beliefs, and customs of the communities that created them. A distinctive colorful blouse, or huipil, from Guatemala that reveals the Mayan weaver's local heritage, and a cotton wrapper, or “ukara,” of the Ezillo people in Nigeria, which displays ideographic designs that function as coded communication for an all-male secret society, are among artworks that illustrate how people communicate personal and social identity through clothing.

A contemporary tapestry, “Congressional Constraint,” woven by American artist Jon Eric Riis in 2012, echoes the extravagance of a 14th-century Chimú tunic from Peru—with which it is paired — by incorporating precious materials including silk, gold, and coral. Riis makes a contemporary political statement while echoing the ancient garment's form.

Source Material: Lessons in Responsible Fashion

“Source Material: Lessons in Responsible Fashion” explores three strategies for addressing today’s fashion crisis: extending a garment’s longevity, promoting recycling and reuse, and embracing local materials. Drawing from The Textile Museum Collection, the exhibition highlights how cultures across time have cherished the resources needed to make textiles — mending or transforming old garments and sourcing fibers from the immediate environment. These historical examples are presented in conversation with the work of contemporary designers who are reimagining responsible fashion today.


Photo by Hanna Leka/the George Washington University.

Visitors will see a 19th-century Japanese kimono designed to grow with a child, a patchwork cover from Central Asia pieced together from recycled garments and a 19th-century Filipino blouse made of fibers extracted from pineapple plants. These examples are displayed alongside innovations like Nkwo Onwuka’s Dakala Cloth™ woven from secondhand denim, Charlotte McCurdy’s carbon-negative raincoat made of algae-based biopolymers and Walid Al Damirji’s handcrafted coat constructed entirely from vintage textiles.

Visitors to “Source Material” can continue their journey by picking up the Rethink Fashion guide — an evergreen resource offering practical tips for becoming a more responsible fashion consumer.



Centennial Collections Book - "Textile Treasures"

In honor of The Textile Museum’s centennial, “Textile Treasures” is the first major publication to bring together global masterworks from the collection, including artworks on display in "Enduring Traditions." Produced in collaboration with Hali Publications, it features stunning photography along with research from curators Sumru Belger Krody, Lee Talbot and Shelley Burian, as well as contributors Carol M. Bier, Walter B. Denny, Barbara G. and David W. Fraser, Mariachiara Gasparini, Mattiebelle Gittinger, Louise W. Mackie, Ann Pollard Rowe and Rebecca A. T. Stevens. Visit the Artisans Gallery to purchase a copy and discover a selection of limited-edition centennial merchandise.

Visiting Information

For the most up-to-date information on the museum's visiting hours, exhibitions and educational programs, please check the museum website.

The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum is located on GW’s Foggy Bottom campus at 701 21st Street, NW, in Washington, D.C., just blocks away from the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery, the White House, Kennedy Center and the National Mall. Galleries are open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on university holidays. Admission to the museum is free.