Leah A. Parkhurst
Design, Research and Movement
Milwaukee, WI & Portland, OR
- Education:
- 2020 MA, Savannah College of Art and Design, Business Design and Arts Leadership, Savannah, GA
- 2014 BA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Art History, Milwaukee, WI
- 2006 BFA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Fibers-Surface Design, Milwaukee, WI
- 2000 Certificate, Worcester Center for Crafts, Metalsmithing, Worcester, MA
- 2019-2020 Internship, Center for Craft’s Windgate Museum Intern for the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
- 2018 Internship, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
- 2018 Internship, Chipstone Foundation, Fox Point, WI
- 2021 Peak Pilates Comprehensive Certification Levels I & II
- 2015 Athletics and Fitness Association of American-Group Exercise Certification
- 2014 Kripalu Yoga Teacher Certification
- 2014 Level III Reiki Certification
- 2011 Spinning and Schwinn Cycling Certification
- Owner:
- 2006-Present Rustbelt Fiberwerks, Milwaukee, WI
- 2024-Present Leah Parkhurst Pilates, Virtual
- Group Exercise, Cycling, Pilates and Yoga Instructor:
- 2013-Present Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2012-2017 Klotsche Center at UWM, Milwaukee, WI
- Studio Coordinator:
- 2022-Present Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- Teaching/Workshops:
- 2024 “Fabric Fusion: Low-Sew Embroidery and Collage,” Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2024 “Simple Sewing: Fashion,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2024 “Resist the Ordinary! Screen-printing with a Wax Resist,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2024 “Simple Sewing: Home,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 “Rock the Block: Intro to Block Printing!” 76th Annual Festival of Christmas and Midwinter Traditions at Folklore Village, Dodgeville, WI
- 2023 “Mono-printing: One of a Kind!” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 “DIY Screen-printing Workshop,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 “Let’s Print!” Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2023 “Find Your Voice-Text and Tapestry,” Jewish Museum Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 “Experiments in Surface Design,” Folklore Village, Dodgeville, WI
- 2023 “Playful Pets,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 “Mark-making with Found Objects,” Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2023 “Pilates Circuit Workshop,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2023 “DIY Screen-printing Workshop,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 “Transformative Surface Design,” Textile Center, Minneapolis, MN
- 2023 “Pilates: Intro to Tower Workshop,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2023 “Pilates: Intro to Chair Workshop,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2022 “Exploring the Small Barrel in Pilates,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2022 “Three Ways Pilates Can Help You Stay Injury Free,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2022 “Pilates and Posture,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2022 “Introduction to Pilates Principles,” Jewish Community Center, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2019 “DIY Screen-printing Workshop,” Cloud 9 Workshop, Milwaukee, WI
- 2013 “Valentines for Kids and Parents, an ArTogether Class,” in collaboration with Kelcey Kalumbula, Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2013 “Two Part Textile Printing and Sewing Workshop,” Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “Stenciling Workshop,” Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “Surface Design Workshop,” Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “Collagraph Workshop,” Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “Papermaking Workshop,” in collaboration with Kelcey Kalumbula, Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “Polish Valentine Papercutting Workshop,” in collaboration with Kasia Drake-Hames, Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “Experiments in Drawing,” in collaboration with Kasia Drake Hames, Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 “DIY Printing Workshop: Block Printing and Screen-printing,” in collaboration with Kasia Drake Hames, Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2011 “DIY Textile Printing,” Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2009 “Screen-printing without a Darkroom,” Cedarburg Cultural Center, Cedarburg, WI
- Dirty Art History:
- 2024 “Innovation on a Roll: Wooden Spools and the Sewing Industry”
- 2024 “From Field to Fabric: Flax and Linen in Colonial American Life”
- 2024 “Cigarettes and Silhouettes: Interpreting Feminine Ideals in Western Art”
- 2024 “Dueling with Death: Vanitas vs. Memento Mori”
- 2024 “Postmarked Joy: Happiness in Mail Art”
- 2023 “Were Victorians of the Aesthetic Movement Punks?”
- 2023 “Is Pink a Subversive Color?”
- 2023“Arts and Crafts Punks”
- 2023 “The Rise and Fall of Sewing Machine Repair in the Unites States”
- 2023 “Politics in the Studio Craft Movement”
- 2023 “Sewing Machine: Rural and Urban Implications”
- 2023 “The Color Black and its Reputation for Darkness”
- 2023 “Gender and the Omega Workshop”
- 2023 “What do Victorians and Punks have in Common? It’s more than the Color Black!”
- Research, Articles and Independent Projects:
- 2023 “Limner Painters in Colonial America,” Multnomah Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Portland, OR
- 2023 “Albert Bierstadt,” Multnomah Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Portland, OR
- 2022 Jane Chapin Headstone Dedication, Multnomah Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Portland, OR
- 2022 “Oregon Soldiers in the Spanish-American and Philippine Wars, 1898-1899,” Multnomah Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Portland, OR
- 2009 “Screen-Printing without a Darkroom,” Rustbelt Fiberwerks, Milwaukee, WI
- Vendor:
- 2024 MKE Zine Fest, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 Beth Eaton Pottery Mini-Market, Milwaukee, WI
- 2023 MKE Studio Tour, Milwaukee County, WI
- 2023 Tapestry of the Arts Festival, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2022 Saint Kate Holiday Marketplace, Milwaukee, WI
- 2012 Buy Local Bazaar, Milwaukee, WI
- 2011 Gallery Night, Milwaukee, WI
- 2010 East Town Market, Milwaukee, WI
- 2010 Midsummer Festival of the Arts, Sheboygan, WI
- 2010 Craftacular, Madison, WI
- 2010 Urban Folk Circuit, Chicago, IL
- 2009-2010 Handmade Market, Chicago, IL
- 2009 Spring Bada Bing, Richmond, VA
- 2009 Craft Saturday, Des Moines, IA
- 2009 Crafty Feast, Columbia, SC
- 2009 INDIEana Handicraft Exchange, Indianapolis, IN
- 2009-2010 East Side Green Market, Milwaukee, WI
- 2009 Green Music Fest, Chicago, IL
- 2009 Design Hive, Boston, MA
- 2009 Oddmall, Akron, OH
- 2009 DIY Trunk Show, Chicago, IL
- 2008 Hunger Task Force Fund Raiser, Milwaukee, WI
- 2008 South Shore Water Frolics, Milwaukee, WI
- 2008 Riverwest Artist Association, Chalk Festival, Whitefish Bay, WI
- 2008-2010 Renegade Craft Fair, Chicago, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Austin
- 2008 Strange Folk Festival, St. Louis, MO
- 2008 Indie Craft Experience, Atlanta, GA
- 2008 Crafty Wonderland, Portland, OR
- 2007-2013 Art vs. Craft, Milwaukee, WI
- 2007-2009 Milwaukee Artists Market, Milwaukee, WI
- 2007-2011 Discovery Museum, Milwaukee, WI
- 2006-2008 East Side Open Market, Milwaukee, WI
- 2001-2016 Art Walk, Milwaukee, WI
- Retail:
- 2011-2016 Rustbelt Fiberwerks Store, Milwaukee, WI
- 2011 Verde Eco Boutique, Mequon, WI
- 2010-2012 Anthology, Madison, WI
- 2009 Oniomania, Milwaukee, WI
- 2009 Brady Street Futon, Milwaukee, WI
- 2009 Beans and Barley, Milwaukee, WI
- 2009 Renegade Handmade, Chicago, IL
- 2009 Youngblood Gallery, Atlanta, GA
- 2009-2012 Sparrow Collective Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
- 2009-2012 I Like You, Minneapolis, MN
- 2008-2009 Fasten, Milwaukee, WI
- 2007-2019 Worcester Center for Crafts Gallery Store, Worcester, MA
- 2007-2009 Paper Boat Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
- Solo Exhibitions:
- 2008 Mercy Hill Gallery, “Screen-prints on Paper,” Milwaukee, WI
- Group Exhibitions:
- 2007 Walker’s Point Center for the Arts, “WPCA Annual Juried Exhibition,” Milwaukee, WI
- 2007 Insite, “You Are Beautiful,” Milwaukee, WI
- 2000 Millworks Gallery, “School for Professional Crafts Exhibition,” Uxbridge, MA
- Press:
- 2011 Riverwest Currents, “Rustbelt Fiberwerks: Fanciful Fabrics That Wear Like Iron,” by Jim Loew
- 2010 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, “Make Milwaukee”: Week 3, Stop 2 of 9: Leah Parkhurst’s Rustbelt Fiberwerks
- 2010 Shepherd Express, “Art vs. Craft” by Shepherd Express staff
- 2010 Inspired by Everything, “Rustbelt Fiberwerks” by Alana W. Piper
- 2010 Vital Source, “Art vs. Craft: Four Years in the Make-It-Yourself Making,” by A. L. Herzog
- 2009 OnMilwaukee, “Art vs. Craft 2009 is Here” by Julie Lawrence
- 2009 Wandering Educators, “Artist of the Month: Leah Parkhurst”
- 2009 Madison Magazine, “Stylemaker Q&A: Buttons, Bangles and Bobby Pins”
- 2009 Unicorn Love, “Disappearing Act: Houdini Bars” by Jessie Moore
- 2009 CakeSpy, “Sweetness in San Francisco: CakeSpy at the Renegade Craft Fair!” by Jesse Moore
- 2009 Free Times, “Eau Claire Festival a Crafty Treat,” by Ron Aiken
- 2008 Sew Somerset, “Gallery Wearables,” by Amanda Belle Nolan
- 2008 OnMilwaukee, “Forget Black Friday, Art vs. Craft is on Saturday” by Julie Lawrence
- 2008 Somerset Home, “Placemats that Pop!” by Amanda Belle Nolan
- 2007 Urban Milwaukee, “Art vs. Craft” by Amber Herzog
- 2007 Make it Mine Magazine, “Not Your Grandma’s Apron” by Tea Benduhn
- Volunteering:
- 2022-Present Executive Board Member, Chapter Historian and Historic Preservation Grants Committee Chair, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), Multnomah Chapter, Portland, OR
- 2007-2010 Board Member, Waukesha Community Art Project, Waukesha, WI