AN IN-PERSON DEMONSTRATION

Armenian Needle Lace

Techniques & Traditions

Saturday, July 15, 2023 • 2:00 - 4:00 PM

Join us for an edifying & inspiring afternoon of textile artistry!

Witness the creation of an Armenian needle lace medallion! Discover the intricacies not only of this craft, but its complex living history and remarkable cultural significance.

This special 2-hour event will take place in the Lacis Museum shop's front anteroom with Elise Youssoufian.
Elise will demonstrate techniques and process of creating an Armenian needlelace medallion live, during which she'll also offer a bit of history, discuss meanings of specific patterns, and share moving stories behind her own collection of Armenian lace pieces.
It's free to attend, and no RSVP is necessary, though for our own planning purposes, it would be greatly appreciated. Let us know if you're planning to attend via Eventbrite, Facebook, phone or email. We'd be honored to have you attend!

About Elise Youssoufian

Elise Youssoufian is an Armenian poet, weaver, scholar and singer born and based in the US, and living in Chochenyo Ohlone territory (a.k.a. Oakland, CA)...
In text and textiles, she delights in creating beauty with her hands, an alchemical act of healing and transformation. From 2019 to 2022, she was fortunate to study and teach needlelace-making and carpet weaving with celebrated artisans in Armenia, enriching her passion for ancient, Earth-honoring, hands-on practices.
Currently a women's spirituality PhD candidate researching weavers' experiences of weaving, Elise holds an MFA in interdisciplinary arts and once upon a time studied folklore and psychology at UC Berkeley. In reclaiming and sharing traditions unavailable to be passed down to Elise — the granddaughter of genocide survivors and offspring of orphaned immigrants — she is forever grateful for the wisdoms of her ancestors, homelands, teachers and cultures.

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