Exhibits & Events

Join InLiquid, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, and Marafiki Arts on Saturday, April 22nd, from 1-3 PM for a free Natural Dye Workshop and try out techniques to repurpose, upcycle, and transform your textiles. Participants will learn the history and basic process of natural, organic indigo dying and have a chance to try it out for themselves. All skill levels are welcome. Materials will be provided, though participants are encouraged to bring a garment from home to dye!

Space is limited and reservation is required to attend, so please register in advance.

About the Instructors

Cynthia Porter is a Philadelphia based artist who taught design and textile classes at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University and at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for more than 10 years. Her work, including her sculpture, has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions in the eastern United States, including the Samuel Fleisher Art Memorial and Drexel University’s Nesbit Gallery of the Arts and Design in Philadelphia, PA. She is co-founder of Marafiki Arts and maintains her studio at Crane Arts in Philadelphia.

Christina Roberts is currently the Director of Education at The Fabric Workshop and Museum, adjunct instructor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, and co-founder of Marafiki Ars. She specializes in contemporary collaborative art making practices using traditional textile printing and dyeing techniques with focus on sustainable methods. She carries out research to develop and implement programs for international and local community outreach initiatives.

In Liquid + 40th Parallel North Preservation Brigade

During 2023 InLiquid has a suite of sustainability programming planned as part of an initiative called The 40th Parallel North Preservation Brigade (40PNPB). The goal of 40PNPB is to facilitate a conversation about human impacts on our environment from a hyper-local approach. The 40PNPB name is inspired by and references the longitudinal circle of the location of the Crane Building, known as the 40th Parallel North. The 40th Parallel North Preservation Brigade exhibition and workshop series will take place at the InLiquid Gallery and our partner venues throughout the 2023 season.

The Fabric Workshop and Museum

The Fabric Workshop and Museum (FWM) is an internationally acclaimed contemporary art museum devoted both to the creation and presentation of innovative works of art. Its Artist-in-Residence Program provides artists at all stages of their careers with the opportunity to collaborate with FWM as they experiment with new materials and new media, taking their work in fresh and often unexpected directions. Founded in 1977 by Marion “Kippy” Boulton Stroud (1939-2015), FWM presents ambitious exhibitions which convey a story of contemporary art that unites process with finished works.

Marafiki Arts

Marafiki Arts (meaning friends-all) works with the Kamba community in Wote, Kenya to make textile products using hand-spun cotton, eri silk, sisal, hand-woven cloth, silkscreen printed fabrics, and natural dye colorants. Our products use natural organic fibers and natural plant dyes grown locally in Kenya. Through the sales of these products, Marafiki Arts is able to raise funds to train, support, and promote self-reliance for members of this community.

Marafiki Arts supports training programs, artistic exchanges, and research programs that align with the natural resources, traditional crafts, and heritage of the Kamba. The programs are conducted in our textile workshop in Wote, equipped with looms, a ten-meter printing table, and additional work spaces.

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