From Minneapolis to Iceland: Textile Study Tour

Today (May 8th, 2026), we are welcoming a study group from the Textile Center: the National Center for Fiber Arts travelling with Travel Beyond for the fourth time. Previous groups also visited in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

At the Textile Center in Blönduós (ITC), the 18 participants received an introduction to our facilities, including the residency and TextileLab, Icelandic wool history, and knitting and embroidery classes taught by our handcraft experts, Jóhanna and Henný Rósa. While textile innovation and circularity are central focuses of ITC today, traditional craft knowledge and handcraft techniques remain the foundation of the our practice and research!

During their visit to Iceland, the group will also explore other notable textile sites, including the Textile Museum in Blönduós, Ístex Wool Washery, and local sheep farms.

These study visits are part of ITC's pilot activities within the European collaboration Tracks4Crafts.