Join MAD Artist Studios resident Emma Welty for a demonstration of Armenian needle lace techniques and a deep dive into the traditions of Armenian-American lacemaking. Drawing from her family’s history after two generations of assimilation in the United States, Welty will share methods of preservation, and her research into the economy of lace, notions of self-support, and gendered memory in the diaspora.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Emma Welty’s current line of research and writing explores the translations and mistranslations of Armenian lace as it has moved throughout the diaspora, lending itself to further gestures of material translation in the quest for preservation. During her MAD residency, Welty will explore Armenian lace knotting and the role its portability played in saving the tradition during moments of violent exodus, which echoes loudly today. Welty earned her BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and her MFA in Visual Arts and MA in Art History from Purchase College, SUNY. She has taught at Westchester Community College, Purchase College, and the Textile Arts Center.