September at VMOTA

Dear VMOTA Community -

September is right around the corner, bringing an incredible line-up of workshops and community events. We're excited to participate in San Diego Design Week again this year, featuring a lecture by our upcoming Spotlight Gallery artist, Oslyn Whizar. Please join us in celebrating textile art through hands-on opportunities, while also enjoying the final month of our current exhibits. We hope to see you at the museum soon!

Katrina Bruins

Executive Director

Events & Opportunities

SEPTEMBER FOCUS FIBER - MEMBERS ONLY

No Focus Fiber Due to Labor Day Holiday

We will not be hosting our monthly Focus Fiber in September due to the Labor Day holiday.

Join us next time!

Focus Fiber is an open and collaborative space within VMOTA that fosters growth and connection among artists working in fiber and textile arts. The group meets regularly to share projects, exchange constructive feedback, and support artistic development in a welcoming and respectful environment. Open to all VMOTA members engaged in fiber and textile work, Focus Fiber offers a platform for artists to build confidence in sharing their creative expressions.

Focus Fiber meetings are the first Monday of the month. Stay tuned for more information about our next meeting.

LEARN MORE

SEPTEMBER FIRST FRIDAY

Welcome Blank Project

Recognizing that we all have an immigrant story to share, VMOTA is participating in the Welcome Blanket Project. As participants in this project, we invite you to join us for three First Fridays (September, November, and December) to help create a knitted or crocheted blanket and a quilted blanket as a symbol of solidarity and welcome. The final blankets will be responsibly distributed through the local organization Helping Empower Community Refugees. Positive messages to blanket recipients by participants will be included with the blankets. This opportunity is free and open to the public; and individuals of all levels of experience are invited.

Save the Dates: September 5th, November 7th, December 5th

Our First Friday Hours are: 5-8PM

Find additional First Friday events happening in the Arts District through the community calendar.

SHARE YOUR STORY THROUGH POETRY + TEXTILE ART

Stitching Stories: What is Home?

Join us this fall for a free two-part workshop that brings together poetry, fabric, and performance in a heartfelt exploration of What is Home? Whether you’re a seasoned artist, budding writer, or just curious about trying something new, this program invites you to express your story through words, stitches, and voice. We are proud to partner with Writers, Ink. on this workshop.

Day 1: Writing & Textile Workshop

Saturday, Sept 6 from 11am - 1pm

Day 2: Exhibit & Showcase

Saturday, Oct 3 from 5pm - 8pm

For more information about the event, please click the button below.

This program was made possible through the Arts District Liberty Station Collaborative Funding Program.

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MEMBERS-ONLY WORKSHOP

Mid-Century Modern Improv with Serena Brooks - Monday, Sept 15 2025

The theme of our next Members Challenge is Mid Century Modern. Stuck on how to get started? Join award-winning artist Serena Brooks for a full-day, hands-on workshop focused on modern quilt improvisation inspired by classic mid-century design. You’ll explore clean lines, organic shapes, and bold composition techniques in a supportive and creative environment.

Date: Monday, September 15, 2025

Time: 10 AM - 4 PM with a 30-minute break for lunch

The cost is $75 for VMOTA members. The class will be limited to 15 participants.

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SAN DIEGO DESIGN WEEK

Torn and Woven by Osyln Whizar - Saturday, Sept 20 2025

Starting September 10th, Oslyn Whizar Toscano's exhibition, Torn and Woven, will be displayed in our Spotlight Gallery. Oslyn's exhibit traces a personal journey through the field of haptics - the sensory knowledge we gain through touch - by challenging the rigid structures of traditional frame loom weaving. Her practice, rooted in textile research and its intersections with painting, evolved as an exploration of fabric not only as surface but as structure: a material with depth, memory, and energy.

As part of San Diego Design Week, Oslyn will be giving a free lecture about her exhibit at VMOTA. Due to limited space, an RSVP is required.

Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025

Time: 1:00 P.M.

CATCH THE FULL SDDW SCHEDULE HERE

UPCOMING VOLUNTEER TRAINING OPPORTUNITY

Docent Training Rescheduled - Wednesday, October 15th

Docents play a critical role in museums, from welcoming student groups, enriching the learning of seasoned artists, and engaging community members in a deeper way. Help expand the impact of our museum by signing up to be a docent!

Due to a low response for our training scheduled for August, we moved our training date to October 15th.

If you are interested in learning more about our docent program and signing up for our training, please reach out to info@vmota.org.

We can't wait to connect with you!

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Limited-Time Offer for New & Renewing Members

Join or renew your VMOTA membership between now and September 5th and receive a free copita and catalog of our current exhibition, We Are Voices of Other Voices/Somos Voces de Otras Voces. After you’ve renewed or joined, simply stop by the museum office to pick up your gift — available only during this limited-time offer while supplies last.

JOIN OR RENEW HERE

REMINDER: FINAL CHANCE TO SEE OUR STORYTELLING EXHIBITS

Current Exhibitions

INTIKA: Men in Textiles

In partnership with Oceanside Museum of Art, VMOTA presents an exhibition that showcases men who work with textile art. Inspired by the island of Taquile, Peru where, for nearly 500 years, men have used textiles as a means of expression. The island's indigenous name “INTIKA” is still used by the locals today and was the inspiration for this exhibit.

We Are Voices of Other Voices/

Somos Voces de Otras Voces

Under the direction of Ricardo Pinto and María Saldaña, artisans from Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca partnered with contemporary Mexican artists who do not typically work with textiles to develop a series of pieces exclusively crafted for this exhibition.

Human Affects by Laura Foster Nicholson

Through handwoven textiles, Laura shares about climate change, hope of renewable energy, careful farming, and a less destructive way of life.

SUULA by Mildred & Sama Barros

In the work of Denise Lacarra, painting decomposes and recomposes in a process that challenges its own material limits. Fragments of previously painted canvases are cut, recombined, and sewn together, generating compositions where the visual memory of each stroke overlaps with new configurations.

Upcoming Exhibitions

Oslyn Whizar

Sept 10 to Oct 25, 2025

Interpretations 2025

Oct 18, 2025 to

Jan 31, 2026

Fiber Arts Now - ARTwear

Oct 18, 2025 to

Jan 31, 2026

Mid Century Modern, VMOTA Members Challenge

Oct 22 to Nov 29, 2025

Sea Creatures by

Quilts on the Wall

Oct 29 to Dec 13, 2025

Are you dedicated to the future of textile art? We need you!

SUPPORT OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY CAMPAIGN

Expand Your Support by Becoming a Visionary Donor – Our first 40 donors who donate $400 or more will receive special recognition for their support on our 2025 campaign materials and webpage, in our impact report, and through an exclusive gift given as a token of our appreciation.