Barbara Weber

Barbara Weber earned her MFA in textiles from RISD in 1996. After school she moved to New York City and worked for a jacquard woven upholstery mill. It was a combination of watching the looms operate on the mill floor and collaborating with the individuals who each had a hand in the development process that solidified her love of woven cloth. Proficient in handweaving as well as designing for Dobby and Jacquard looms, she has continued to explore textiles and the textile industry by working with mills, editors and more recently, through teaching.

The process of collaboration has been central to Barbara's work as a designer. The studios she has been a part of have given her the opportunity to develop work with creatives inside and outside the field of textiles. Barbara has found that the approach of someone unfamiliar with the materials, tools and constructions used in weaving can expand the way a project develops. She keeps those experiences in mind and tries to impart a sense of discovery and possibility in her approach to new design challenges.