PTXM Sewing Circle, 2026 PNCA Symposium

What happens to artistic presence when making becomes increasingly mediated by machines, networks, and systems of reproduction? And what might it mean to return to the immediacy of making by hand?

As part of Portland Textile Month and PNCA’s annual symposium, Art, Aura & the Algorithm, join us for an in-person, artist-led sewing circle exploring creativity, connection, and the value of making together.

This year’s symposium looks at “aura”, or artistic presence, in a world shaped by AI, digital reproduction, and algorithms—systems that increasingly influence what we see, choose, and create. In contrast, the sewing circle offers a space for a more immediate kind of creative experience: gathering around a table, sharing materials, learning from one another, and letting the process unfold.

Sewing is a practice rooted in exchange. A stitch can carry a memory, a technique can be passed from one person to another, and a shared pattern can become something entirely different in each maker’s hands. Through conversation, experimentation, and collaboration, the work takes shape collectively.

Within the sewing circle, there is no algorithm directing the outcome. Instead, we’ll create a space to embrace the slower pace of handwork, leaving room for mistakes, improvisation, and unexpected connections. The sewing circle invites us to consider what happens when creativity is rooted in physical presence and shared experience.

No sewing experience is necessary. Come as you are, bring your curiosity, and join us for an evening of making together. Supplies will be provided but feel free to bring your own projects!

Led by artists Isabella Saavedra, Tori Nickles & Art Gang

Art, Aura & the Algorithm: PNCA's 2026 Symposium
Schedule Overview, October 1-3, 2026
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1

5-8pm
First Thursday Exhibition Openings
RSVP HERE
• Symposium Exhibition
• Aura photographs with Aura Archive
• PTXM Artist-Led Sewing Circle
RSVP HERE

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2

10am
Welcome & Opening Remarks

10-11:30am
Virtual Panel: Whither Aura: Profaning, Reclaiming, Preserving
RSVP

11:45am-12:30pm
AI Séance Performance
RSVP
1:30-3pm
Academic Faculty Panel: AI, Agency, and the Politics of Futurity
3-4:30pm
Creative Research Panel: BY WHOSE AUTHORITY?
RSVP

6pm-7:30pm
Keynote Lecture: Sasha Stiles (Dorothy Lemelson Lecture)
RSVP

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

1-3pm
Workshop: WHEN LANGUAGE COMES ALIVE: A LIVING POEM WITH SASHA STILES
WORKSHOP SIGN UP