Bio: Phyllis Waggoner has a BA in Art Education and a Masters degree in Design, from the University of Minnesota. She traveled to the Southwest with faculty and students of the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, studying the culture and weaving of the Hopi and Navajo people. Additional weaving classes include: The Marshfield School of Weaving in Vermont, taught by master weaver, Norman Kennedy, The Gotland Hemslöjd, in Visby, Sweden and The Weavers School, with weaver and author Madelyn van der Hoogt. Phyllis was awarded the American Swedish Institute Lily Lorenzen scholarship for study in Sweden and in March, 1999, she attended the weaving course offered at the Comvux school for adult education in Upplands Väsby, where she focused on drawloom weaving with weaver, teacher and author Kerstin Lovallius. Phyllis has taught classes in Color and Design and Weaving for the Extension Division of the University of Minnesota; The Art Center of Minnesota; The Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa; The American Swedish Institute (ASI); and The Weavers Guild of Minnesota. She has volunteered for over 30 years at the American Swedish Institute, working with their textile collection. She was a guest curator for three exhibitions: Dreams of Home, Swedish Woven Coverlets; Hilma Berglund, Swedish Immigrants’ Daughter; and The Fabric of Life, Textiles from the ASI Collection. Articles featuring her work have appeared in The Weavers Journal, Handwoven and New Sweden Minnesota. She is a longtime member of the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.

Description: Early in my weaving pursuits I visited the American Swedish Institute to examine the textiles in their collection. Their Bunden Rosengång coverlets reminded me of Flamestitch embroidery, they were so colorful, I was hooked. Soon I began volunteering at the ASI, helping with cataloging, photographing, storing the textiles and assisting with exhibits. When they received a gift of the Swedish National costume, it was decided to exhibit it along with other folk costumes (Dräkter) in the ASI’s collection. It happened that I had a warp on my loom to weave figures, and so I wove Phyllis in a Swedish Costume. It has been a privilege to be a volunteer at the ASI for so many years, I’m very grateful. 

rpwaggoner2@gmail.com