Conversations in Cloth: Free Lecture and Trunk Show with Designer Judy Frater
Judy Frater went to Kutch, a desert region of western India, in 1970 to study embroideries of the nomadic Rabaris. She went on to establish the women embroiderers collective Kala Raksha, and lived in India for 30 years. The talk narrates her journey learning and teaching about the cultural heritage embedded in craft traditions. She established the first institute of design education for artisans to ensure creative agency in traditional artisans. After returning to the US in 2020 she has continued to generate creative opportunities for design graduates. The presentation focuses on an exhibition she guest curated at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts & Fiber Arts, Cedarburg, WI, in 2023, in which artisan designers responded to quilts in the Museum’s collections.
Judy Frater (website and blog) believes that value is the key to sustainability. An Ashoka Fellow, she lived in Kutch 30 years, where she founded Kala Raksha Trust and Museum, and Kala Raksha Vidhyalaya, the first design school for artisans. She later reinvented the school as Somaiya Kala Vidya. She has been honored with the Sir Misha Black Medal for Design Education, the Crafts Council of India Kamla award, the Designers of India Design Guru Award and more.
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