Desert Fiber Arts

What Desert Fiber Arts does

Desert Fiber Arts (legal name: Desert Fiber Arts Guild) is a nonprofit fiber arts guild headquartered in Kennewick, Washington, founded in 1974. The organization operates as a member-driven educational and service entity following the "Each One, Teach One" knowledge-transfer philosophy, serving hobbyists and practitioners of traditional fiber arts in the Pacific Northwest. Its core offerings include twelve-plus member-led study groups spanning spinning, weaving (including drawloom, rigid heddle, multi-shaft, and band weaving), knitting, felting, dyeing, tapestry, and basketry, supplemented by formal classes, a resource library, a monthly newsletter ("The Blast"), and participation in regional events such as the Allied Arts Show, Fall Market, and Benton Franklin County Fair.

The guild runs on a low-cost community operating model: an in-person studio at 101 N Union St, Suite 208, in Kennewick, open by appointment, plus an online storefront (WordPress + PayPal) for membership renewals, donations, and product sales. Membership is sold on an annual cycle at $40 per individual with a $5 family-member add-on, valid June 1 through the following May, and supplemented by PayPal-based donations. The organization is independent — no parent company, no disclosed institutional investors beyond a one-time $28,000 grant in April 2023 from ArtsFund and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. Headcount sits in the 11–50 range, consistent with a volunteer-heavy, member-run nonprofit structure.

Distribution is geographically constrained to a single domestic market (Pacific Northwest, USA), with no disclosed expansion plans beyond that region. The guild maintains a recurring strategic partnership with Allied Arts Gallery in the Park, including a featured exhibition for its EcoFriendly & Creative Reuse study group in January 2027, and has been invited to contribute weaving samples to a new edition of the out-of-print master-weaver reference "The Davison." There is no proprietary technology platform, no app, no API, and no AI/ML capability — the business is fundamentally a community-and-education operation rather than a technology venture.

Name

Desert Fiber Arts

Legal name

Desert Fiber Arts Guild

Website

https://desertfiberarts.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Desert Fiber Arts is a nonprofit fiber arts guild in Kennewick, Washington, providing membership-based education in spinning, weaving, knitting, felting, dyeing, and basketry through study groups, classes, a library, and community events for hobbyists in the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education and Membership Services

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Fiber arts education
• Weaving workshops
• Textile craft guild
• Handcraft membership
• Spinning and dyeing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennewick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Desert Fiber Arts Guild is a community-based fiber arts organization that delivers craft education and community programming through annual memberships. Members receive access to the Kennewick, WA studio, member-led study groups covering weaving, spinning, felting, dyeing, basketry, and related disciplines, instructional classes, a resource library, and participation in community events such as the Allied Arts Show and the Benton Franklin County Fair.

Product overview

Desert Fiber Arts Guild is a community-based fiber arts organization offering a unified membership program that provides access to study groups, classes, library resources, and community events. The guild focuses on traditional fiber arts including weaving, spinning, knitting, felting, dyeing, and basketry. Their activities include member-led study groups, educational classes, a resource library, and participation in local art shows and markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guild Membership Annual membership program for fiber arts enthusiasts, priced at $40 per year (valid June 1 through the following May) with a $5/year family add-on. Members gain access to study groups, classes, the guild library, community events, and the monthly 'The Blast' newsletter.
• Fiber Arts Classes Educational classes teaching traditional fiber arts techniques such as weaving, spinning, knitting, felting, dyeing, and basketry, held at the Desert Fiber Arts Studio in Kennewick, WA. Examples include the Fiber Bowl class with two instructors and eight students.
• Study Groups Member-led interest groups covering twelve fiber arts disciplines including Pop-up Spin, Basketeers, By the Book Knitters, Drawloom, Dye Study, Felting, Handcrafting, Rigid Heddle, Sticks and Hooks, Tapestry, 4-6-8 Weaving, and Band Weaving. Some groups (e.g., Hand Crafting) meet remotely via Zoom.
• Events and Shows Community and exhibition events organized or participated in by the guild, including the biennial Allied Arts Show at Gallery in the Park (next: January 2027), the Allied Arts Fall Market, and fiber arts demonstrations at the Benton Franklin County Fair.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Allied Arts Gallery in the ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2027DFA's EcoFriendly & Creative Reuse study group has been invited to be featured at Allied Art's Gallery in the Park show in January 2027. This will be a culmination of their two-year exploration of the 3 R's - Reuse, Repurpose, Recreate. The guild also coordinates annually with Allied Arts for their Fall Market and display events.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Creativebug: Subscription-based online craft education platform with a deep library of fiber arts classes (weaving, knitting, dyeing, spinning). Adjacent competitor that absorbs discretionary hobbyist time and spend that might otherwise go to a local guild's paid classes.
• Penland School of Craft: Residential craft school in North Carolina offering multi-week workshops across fiber, clay, glass, metal, wood, and book arts. Comparable as a craft education provider but at a much larger, multi-discipline institutional scale with a different funding model.
• Handweavers Guild of America: National membership organization for handweavers, spinners, and dyers offering study groups, conferences, publications, and certifications. Directly comparable as a fiber arts guild but operating at national scale rather than Desert Fiber Arts' regional single-city footprint.

Others

• The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA): Industry trade association for needlearts (knitting, crochet, needlepoint, etc.) that supports guilds, yarn shops, and teachers. A peer as an industry ecosystem enabler relevant to Desert Fiber Arts' knitting and fiber arts programming.
• WEBS - America's Yarn Store: Large online and brick-and-mortar yarn retailer that also hosts in-store classes and an education center. Comparable to Desert Fiber Arts' knitting/weaving audience but operates as a retail business rather than a community guild.
• Madeline Tosh Yarn (and community programs): Independent hand-dyed yarn producer and community sponsor that funds fiber arts education. Comparable to Desert Fiber Arts only loosely as a fiber arts ecosystem participant, not a direct community model.

Direct peers

• Textile Arts Center: Brooklyn-based nonprofit fiber arts education organization offering classes, workshops, studio access, and community programs in weaving, spinning, dyeing, and related crafts. Closely matches Desert Fiber Arts' model of fee-based classes plus community guild programming.
• North Country Fiber Arts Guild: Regional fiber arts guild in the upper Midwest offering study groups, classes, and exhibitions across weaving, spinning, felting, and knitting. Same membership-based, volunteer-run, multi-discipline community guild model as Desert Fiber Arts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DesertFiberArts
• Instagraminstagram.com/desertfiberarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/desert-fiber-arts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Desert Fiber Arts