About Us
The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center is a unique resource for fiber artists and those who find beauty in the fiber arts. Visitors to the adobe storefront in the historic district of Española enter a world of looms, colorful yarns, beautiful handmade textiles, books, and supplies. Come visit for all things fiber.
Our Staff
Pando (fka Amanda) Speer (she/they) | Media & Education Coordinator
Pando is a weaver, artist, and educator. Pando learned to weave at The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center in 2013 and has been working with EVFAC ever since. She has been the Media Coordinator since 2017 and working as both Media and Education Coordinator since 2019. Pando has taught a variety of weaving and dyeing classes at the center throughout the years. Her weavings have been shown throughout the USA as well as Indonesia, India, Thailand and more.
Contact - education@evfac.org
Kim Zitzow (they, she) | Director
Kim is a place-based interdisciplinary artist and weaver, bringing 2 decades of experience as a practicing/teaching artist and curriculum designer across higher education and international programs in Guatemala and throughout the United States. Kim was a participant in the first round of the Chimayo Weaving Apprenticeship and currently weaves for Centinela Traditional Arts in Chimayo.
At EVFAC Kim’s focus is on building the Youth Fiber Studio as a collaborative initiative rooted in the rich cultural and ecological context of Northern New Mexico. This approach aims to bridge traditional practices with contemporary perspectives, ensuring that the art of weaving and other land-based crafts remain relevant and vibrant for future generations.
Connect with Kim at director@evfac.org if you are a local teacher interested in incorporating weaving into your curriculum!
Debbie Harris | Retail Manager
Debbie has been with the Center since 2019. She handles all orders in the shop as well as donations and rental reservations.
Contact - info@evfac.org
Michelle Peixinho | Retail Assistant
Michelle has been with the Center since early 2024 and was a participant in the 2nd round of the Chimayo Weaving Apprenticeship. She currently weaves for the Chimayo galleries.
Our Board
Mark Bond | Vice President
Mark hooks large scale rugs and has shown his award-winning work nationally. For the past 18 years, Mark has managed facilities at a university art department, a position that includes everything from fabricating equipment to supervising personnel, budgeting, studio and gallery display installation, and planning. Mark uses a computerized personal size spinning mill he designed himself to spin churro yarn for himself and his wife, talented weaver Gretchen Adams, both. Mark has future plans to make his design details available as an open source project. He has also hacked multiple looms with warp extenders and air powered treadles to reduce wear and tear on the body. He brings to the board a diverse set of skills and experiences and a vision for the future of a New Mexico wide, inclusive, community-focused organization. His special interest is bringing weaving instruction into classrooms.
Leigh Alexander | Treasurer
Leigh is a professional weaver with over 40 years of experience in the textile industry. Leigh developed and ran the Heritage Blanket program at EVFAC, training weavers on dobby loom and producing churro blankets for wholesale. Currently, in addition to her own weaving, she is working at Centinela Traditional Arts. A board member from 2008-2012, she is excited to support the organization once again in this new capacity.
Dain Daller | President
Dain Daller is a weaver, dyer, artist and teacher living near Abiquiu. He learned to weave in 2013 at EVFAC, and is now both a board member and a weaving teacher at the Center. His main interests in weaving are Ikat and Shibori. He has shown his work across the USA, and in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and India.
Maria Jonsson | Secretary
Maria Jonsson is a working fiber artist and teacher. Maria has been a member or affiliated with EVFAC since they opened their doors in 1995, and have taken many wonderful classes there and have participated in various group shows and other fiber related activities, as well as renting looms and weaving at the center.
Roy Kady | Board Member
Roy Kady is a Diné shepherd, weaver, spinner, and dyer residing in the community of Goats Spring near Teec Nos Pos Arizona.
From Roy Kady: I passionately weave and create with natural fibers to center myself in the cosmos of the universe. My ancestors, grandparents, and my Shimá (Mother) shared with me stories about how weaving was gifted to us in the creation world by Spider Man, by taking the natural elements of the universe to construct the first loom and then teaching his counterpart Spider Woman about weaving a web of life.
I also raise a special breed of sheep that was also gifted to us in the underworld, they have long dual fibers that is very suitable for the fiber arts that I pursue, whether it be a utilitarian wearable/or an Art décor for the collector, it sings a song of beauty.
My designs are inspired by my natural surroundings; whether it is color/colors for my palate, or stories that I have heard from the past/present. I hand process most of the natural fibers that I create with, and I grow several fibers to include in my Art as well, also I gather plants to vegetal dye my fibers to create one of a kind art pieces. Thus my creations represent my heritage; traditions and the ever evolving Art of Navajo Weaving that is consider one of the last primitive Arts that are still created on an upright loom.
Mary Pahl | Board Member
Mission
Cultivate and support multi-generational participation in local, traditional and contemporary Fiber Arts.
Vision
The hub of a thriving and respected Fiber Arts community.
Guiding Values
Fiber Artists and their Work – The The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center supports the creativity of artists who work with fiber and their unique handmade creations.
Textile Heritage – The The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center fosters and builds upon Fiber Arts traditions practiced in New Mexico.
Inclusion – The The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center is committed to engaging in continuous learning that bridges cultures and social boundaries through innovation, openness, trust, and knowledge-sharing.
Promotion of the Fiber Ecosystem – The Fiber Arts begin with the shepherd or farmer and end with the client who values the locally handmade product. The The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center promotes a Fiber Ecosystem that grows, harvests, prepares and uses fibers creatively.
Community and Partnerships – Appreciation for the value of the Fiber Arts builds The The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center’s community through collaborative efforts that respect heritage and foster economic sustainability.
Revised COVID-19 Policy 05/15/2024
We do our best to regularly clean surfaces and create air flow, however we cannot guarantee that a COVID-19 infection will not occur.
While we no longer require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations, we do recommend adhering to the current CDC guidelines and wearing a mask if you are immune compromised:
stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines
wash your hands frequently and practice good hygiene
When you're sick:
if you have respiratory symptoms, use precautions to prevent spread: stay home and away from others
seek testing and/or treatment promptly
learn when you can go back to your normal activities (visit - www.cdc.gov)