Establishing a way to earn a living in the textile arts has never been easy and many find they have to be creative in more ways than one. Abigail Brown (page 18 of the magazine) whose embroidered birds and animals are literally flying off craft gallery shelves around the country right now, is also an illustrator and offers short courses. When we asked how she would describe what she does, her answer was typical - there is no clear-cut answer - artist-maker is as close a definition as is possible to make. We speak to many textile artists in a similar position, who find themselves following this kind of 'portfolio' approach to their career. We meet those who exhibit widely but sell very little, and then there are those whose 'products' sell well but who long for more artistic fulfilment. Teaching, itself a demanding vocation, appears to be the main route to sustaining a reasonable income with which to support the artistic output. Generally there is little in the way of grants or bursaries. So we are delighted that in 2010 the Art Foundation Fellowship has selected textile art as a category for its £10,000 award. It's the first time the fibre arts have been considered. Part of the award's benefits is to create a financial breathing space for the winner, so that they may focus exclusively on their practice. Textile artist Julie Cook was awarded the fellowship and you can read about her work on page 15. For those who would like to pursue a career in fashion embroidery, turn to page 14, where you'll find details of how to enter this year's Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery, which is now open to non-students. It's time to get creative.
Jo Hall