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 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 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

Website: textilecurator.com

You can get a 20% discount on Helen's book with free shipping from the Lawrence King website until April 9th using the code MRXSTITCH at checkout.

Intro music is U Dirty Dawg by Def Lev via Epidemic Sound.

About NeedleXChange

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

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