Suzi Ballenger, MFA, is a Rhode Island fiber artist and educator whose work is driven by an enduring curiosity about materials and the language of handcraft. She believes that a deep understanding of the architecture of warp and weft enriches the expressive potential of cloth. Her practice explores the dynamic relationship between structure and material through pattern, texture, hand-manipulation techniques, and the intentional use of tension. Her book, M’s + O’s: A Contemporary Look at a Traditional Weave Structure, was published in 2026.

Nicole Bunting is a tapestry weaver and mixed media artist that is constantly exploring and experimenting with all kinds of weaving. She received her BFA in Craft and Material Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and has been a weaving instructor in the Richmond area since 2015. She also assisted Susan Iverson at Penland during the summer of 2018 and taught as an adjunct at VCU in 2019.

Nicole created the online weaving resource Warped Fibers in 2020 to share her weaving knowledge and foster a weaving community for anyone and everyone. Since the creation of Warped Fibers she has created 5 e-books, an online tapestry course, an online shop, a YouTube channel, and has a dedicated following on Patreon.

When not in her studio, Nicole likes to be out exploring and traveling. Her work is influenced by the process of weaving, the formation of natural patterns, and the correlation of these to the ongoing dialogue from her own journals.

Shari Diamond learned to weave in 2018 and caught the weaving bug. After retiring from a career in financial services, she enrolled in the Hill Institute's Master Weaver Program and started teaching weaving to students of all levels.
Shari loves to share her enthusiasm for and knowledge of weaving with others. She works with new students to teach the basics of weaving – how to dress a loom, the mechanics of reading a draft and throwing the shuttle, finishing and displaying their creations. She helps experienced students focus on what they want to create, work on their design, and weave structures to create what they envision.
Shari is an active volunteer at the Hartford Artisans Weaving Center in Hartford, CT, where she helps prepare looms for visually impaired and senior artisans. Shari is a member of the Handweavers’ Guild of Connecticut, the Weavers of Western Massachusetts, and Complex Weavers. Shari also serves as a Trustee of the New England Weavers Seminar (NEWS).

Laurie Duxbury lives at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She learned to weave 35 years ago and hasn’t been bored since. Laurie loves exploring various weave structures and playing around with color. She has developed her own weaving voice and often participates in the annual Artisans Studio Tour in Charlottesville, Virginia. She also teaches for guilds, conferences and weaving schools, including John C. Campbell Folk School, HGA’s Convergence, NEWS and MAFA. Laurie’s goal for each student is that they understand what they love about weaving and develop the tools they need to express themselves through weaving. Her favorite moments are when a student has an “aha” experience. Then she knows that a weaver is inspired to continue their growth as a craftsperson.

David Heustess is an artist and arts educator in Nashville, TN and his work makes use of clay, fiber arts and bead work. He attended the Appalachian Center for Crafts and in 1995 he earned a BFA degree with studio concentrations in clay and fiber arts. In the Fall of 2026, David will have reached year 30 of directing a gallery space and a community arts education program at Vanderbilt University. David also teaches virtual and in person workshops for The Handweavers Guild of America, MidAtlantic Fiber Association, and the SouthEast Fiber Arts Alliance.

Sara is the owner and resident instructor of Red Stone Glen Fiber Arts Center. Many of Sara’s students praise her ability to guide students through the challenging world of color theory, specifically relating to weaving. Sara has spent many years experimenting with color in weaving focusing her studies in how color relationships are affected by yarn size, luster, sett and weave structure. She loves giving students core principals to follow so they become more confident in their color decisions when designing new pieces.

Lucienne Coifman has taught weaving for over 40 years at the Guilford Art Center, The Creative Art workshop and in her own studio. She also conducted workshops throughout the Northeast and the Midwest and participated in the last 5 Convergences. For the last 30 years Lucienne has been studying Rep Weave, experimenting with different fibers. Her main interest has centered on color interactions and patterns, using up to 8 harnesses and using pick-up techniques when needed. Lately she has researched many unusual ways to weave Rep Weave that do not follow the traditional path. Her weavings have appeared in Shuttle Spindle & Dyepot, Handwoven, and has been included in many juried exhibits. Her book, "REP- RIPS -REPS Weaves" (2015), is a complete workshop for both beginning and advanced weavers. She is in the process of publishing a second book on the new variations of Rep Weave.

Karen Donde weaves wearables and home textiles for exhibit and teaches beginning-advanced weaving, in-person and online. Conference teaching includes HGA’s Convergence and several regional conferences around the U.S. She shared a weaving/teaching studio in Asheville, NC, for five years, and now teaches privately at her home studio on a limited basis. Karen is a Complex Weavers’ Past President, a member of Cross Country Weavers and the Southern Highland Craft Guild and a graduate of Haywood Community College’s fiber program. With a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, she now writes for and about weavers, including articles in Handwoven, Little Looms, Complex Weavers Journal and Heddlecraft®. A book is in the works.

Sarah D. Haskell is an artist with a passion for thread, public art and building community through creative endeavors. Born and raised in New England, Sarah received her BFA in Textile Design from RISD and a Masters of Art and Healing from Wisdom University. Sarah’s textile artwork explores the cross over between text and textile, investigating the mystery of encoded fabrics and the hidden language of cloth. As a community artist, Sarah guides art projects throughout New England in prisons, hospitals, mental health or community centers and retirement communities. These projects literally weave the fabric of the community into works of art. In 2002 she completed "Each One: The Button Project, a 9/11 Memorial" her first community art project, owned by the City of Portsmouth, NH. Her global peace project “Woven Voices, Messages from the Heart” concluded in 2012 after 4 years of successfully weaving community, peace and creative expression. Her community art project, “Well Used, Well Loved” (2015- 17) explored age, beauty, attachment and impermanence using a handwoven dishtowel and reflective writing.

Fritz Horstman is an educator, curator, and artist based in Bethany, Connecticut, where he is education director at the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation. He is the author of “Interacting with Color: A Practical Guide to Josef Albers’s Color Experiments” (Yale Press 2024).