Textile Arts Center

19th century tannery

Though Indigenous people and colonists were likely tanning animal hides into leather—a textile used for clothing, shoes, blankets, satchels, and more—for centuries in this area, it wasn’t until the completion of the Gowanus Canal that the first commercial tanneries opened in the neighborhood. Animal hides preserved with salt arrived on barges via the canal, and were soaked in water and lime to remove any remaining flesh and hair. Next, the hides were scraped clean and set in enormous vats of tannic acid for up to six months—acid which was later dumped directly into the Gowanus Canal, and acted as a major contributor to the pollution of the waterway. Now, Textile Arts Center is the premiere textile facility in Gowanus, and is a community-minded organization that emphasizes enivornmental sustainability.

About Textile Arts Center: Textile Arts Center (TAC) is a NYC-based resource facility dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of textiles through creative educational programs for children and adults. At TAC, we unite and empower the textile community and advocate for the handmade by providing accessible, skills-based classes that reinvigorate engagement with traditional crafts. Techniques like weaving, sewing, and dyeing are practical, connective, and process-driven—common denominators around the world. They are part of our collective history and vital to our ongoing expressions of design, art, and culture.

Textile Arts Center