Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Collective and Espanola Valley Fiber Arts Center

Two new organizations are promoting fiber arts in New Mexico. The Southwest Women’s Fiber Arts Collective was presented with an Award of Achievement by the New Mexico Women’s Foundation for its work in connecting fiber artists to one another and locating venues for selling their work. The group has held a fiber art camp for disadvantaged children, initiated a knitting program at El Refugio, a woman’s shelter, and opened a storefront gallery. The Collective coordinates the southern half of the state and works closely with New Mexico Arts and the _Española Valley Fiber Arts Center. _The center is developing a Fiber Trails network throughout the state to provide a comprehensive listing of artisans, small co-ops and art galleries. The map would be used by visiting tourists and potential buyers to easily locate the sites.