Project Threadways Symposium

The annual Project Threadways Symposium brings together scholars, activists, makers, and thinkers to present research, share stories, and encourage dialogue about history, community, and power—all through the lens of fashion and textiles. Presentations take place in Florence, Alabama, however virtual registration is also available.

In 2025, our theme is Food, Clothing, and Shelter. Presentations will explore the intersection of art and necessity, connect climate and culture, and share stories of artists, designers, and craftspeople who shape our everyday lives. Speakers include:

Blair LM Kelley — Director of the Center for the Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class.
Windy Chien — Artist and author of The Year of Knots.
Liz Lambert — Designer and visionary at Lambert McGuire Design, MML Hospitality, El Cosmico, and the Far West Collective.
Jack Sanders — Design Build Architect from Rural Studio, Founder of Design Build Adventure, collaborator of The Longtime, El Cosmico, and other projects.
Cathy Bailey — Designer, maker, and co-owner of Heath Ceramics and co-author of Tile Makes the Room: Good Design from Heath Ceramics.
Jacqueline Bishop — Writer, artist, professor, and scholar.
The Kitchen Sisters — Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva, lifelong documentarians and producers of the NPR series Lost & Found Sound, The Sonic Memorial Project, Hidden Kitchens, The Hidden World of Girls, and the Radiotopia podcast, The Kitchen Sisters Present.
Judith Winfrey — Food activist, organic farmer, and co-founder of Love is Love farm, Wholesome Wave Georgia, and Community Farmers Markets.
Lisa Donovan — Writer, pastry chef, and author of Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger.
Board co-chair and photographer Rinne Allen joins Natalie Chanin in conversation about our oral history programming and their recent visit to West Texas organic cotton farms.

Join us for a reception with chef Lisa Donovan on Thursday, April 24th. Tickets available here. (Note: Admission to the reception is included with in-person symposium tickets. If you have purchased in-person tickets to the symposium and would like to attend the reception, please email think@projectthreadways.org to RSVP.)

Find the full schedule of events and register here.