Emma Rochester

I first met Emma when she came to Philadelphia to fulfill a residency at Crane Arts through her doctoral studies in fine art, paired with video & textile disciplines at Queensland College of Art and Griffith University in Australia. She needed a place to stay while she was working here and reached out to me through Airbnb. I offered to pick her up from 30th Street Station on a hot July day as she was coming in on the bus from Brooklyn. We both knew we were going to meet another textile designer and were super excited to actually hit it off immediately. We dropped off her suitcase at home and were back out shopping and on a tour of Philly and the many thrift stores within an hour to acquire proper lightweight clothes for Philly's hot and humid days. We soon decided to collaborate and put on a gallery show, Falling Into The Earth, together September 2014 at Crane Arts. Learn more about what we wove here under our Press Page. Since then, she has taken her weaving skills to new heights and has made  extraordinary pieces exploring color, texture, and materials. You will often find her participating in our Textile Thursday online Zoom class and open studio we host every week and see her thoughtful fabric pieces unfold.