A Legacy of Art and Textiles Through Generations

Art has always been in Beth Cunningham’s blood, woven into the very fabric of her upbringing. Her mother was a gifted seamstress, and her father, a coal miner, shaped her early years as they moved from Pennsylvania to West Virginia to Virginia, following the coal trail. Her mother’s influence was invaluable in sculpting her life’s path, leading to degrees in Clothing and Textiles (Virginia Tech), teaching certificates in art and home economics, and a master’s in Studio/Fine Art (University of Houston). Her dedication to public education and art earned her educational accolades. Teacher with 42 years of public service. Cunningham continued her studies at the University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy, La Romita School of Art, Terni, Italy, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT, Maiwa School of Textiles, Granville Island, Vancouver, BC, and other schools in the pursuit of knowledge of art, textiles, and fibers. She has shown her work internationally and nationally, winning many awards. Beth Cunningham was born in Connellsville, PA, and resides in Kerrville, Texas. She delights in teaching raw and turned edge appliqué, beading on cloth, embroidery, and text in stitch. Research is a fundamental part of her lectures on the creative process, and the history of seed beads. Her artistic journey is another well-received lecture.