Friends of the ATW Lecture: Emeritus Professor Valerie Kirk

A special lecture by renowned tapestry weaver Valerie Kirk, Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University, School of Art and Design.

This lecture celebrates Valerie’s recent appointment to the ATW Board of Directors and the upcoming opening of the ‘Make the World Again’ exhibition at the ATW, which will feature her tapestry ‘Fossil’. Valerie will speak with ‘Make the World Again’ curator Kevin Murray about a number of her tapestry and textile projects. These projects explore natural and personal histories and investigate concepts of memory, time and the past as an imaginary space.

Valerie is a highly regarded figure in contemporary tapestry and textiles, who has made a significant contribution as an artist and tapestry weaver, writer and teacher both in Australia and overseas. She studied art and design at Edinburgh College of Art, where she discovered woven tapestry. As a recent graduate, she came to Australia and worked in the Victorian (now Australian) Tapestry Workshop and travelled the country to teach in communities and colleges, work as an artist-in-residence, exhibit and lead community tapestry projects.

'Make the World Again' was held at the Australian Tapestry Workshop from December 1 2020 - February 26 2021. Curated by Kevin Murray the exhibition features the work of Eva Heiky Olga Abbinga, Kay Abude, Mary Burgess, Cresside Collette, Siri Hayes, Valerie Kirk, Sara Lindsay, Vicki Mason, Julia Raath, Shuklay Tahpo, Susie Vickery, Ilka White and Liz Williamson.