In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Helen Adams.

Helen is the Textile Curator who has been shining a light on contemporary textile art on her terrific blog since 2014. Her fantastic book, Textile Fine Art (https://www.laurenceking.com/products/textile-fine-art?utm_source=NeedleXChange) was published in September 2025.

In this second part of our XChange, Helen shares how she became the Textile Curator. We talk about starting a website to “wake up the world”, what it’s like building something as a team of one, and the practical realities of monetising a niche platform.

We also get into why social media can feel like finding “your little tribe”, and we finish with Helen's cultural touchpoints.

Helen is curating a show at Saatchi Gallery! Textile Art Redefined (https://www.saatchigallery.com/exhibition/textile-art-redefined) runs from April 10th - May 10th which is a must-see if you're in the vicinity.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 – Introduction

00:01:30 - Navigating social media for artists and curators

00:10:20 - The future of textile art and building a legacy in communities

00:15:20 - Helen's upcoming exhibitions and festival plans

00:19:50 - The role of mentorship in the textile art community

00:24:20 - Exploring innovative textile techniques and materials

00:29:35 - Engaging with textile art enthusiasts

00:36:05 - Helen's advice for aspiring textile artists

Links:

Instagram: textilecurator (https://www.instagram.com/textilecurator/)

Website: textilecurator.com (https://www.textilecurator.com?utm_source=needlexchange)

You can get a 20% discount on Helen's book with free shipping from the Lawrence King website (https://www.laurenceking.com/products/textile-fine-art?utm_source=NeedleXChange) until April 9th using the code MRXSTITCH at checkout.

Intro music is U Dirty Dawg by Def Lev via Epidemic Sound (https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/3403dx) .

About NeedleXChange

An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.

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