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Hi, I'm Becka.

I am a full-time teaching artist who works in a micro-studio in Minneapolis. I work primarily in fabric and paper, specializing in textured designs from cut paper illustrations using recycled papers and embroidered surface designs. One of the traditions of fiber art that inspires me is the idea of making practical and every day things be beautiful as well as functional. Why else do you embroider on a handkerchief or hand weave a kitchen towel when a scrap of old fabric would do the job? Because that's a tiny bit of art that makes you feel good.

As a teacher, rather than being a specialist in one area, my specialty is being able to teach a beginning class in just about anything related to fabric or paper. I love watching the light bulb come on for someone as they have that "ah-ha!" moment or the gasp of excitement as they unfold their first dye project. I love to teach.

I spent 11 years as the director of education, working as an arts administrator at Textile Center, a center for fiber arts in Minneapolis. In 2014, I decided to retire from that arts admin life in order to spend more time making art, teaching, and working as an advocate for fiber art and artists.

In 2015, my first book, The Spoonflower Handbook, was published. I worked with co-authors Stephen Fraser and Judi Ketteler to create the ultimate handbook to all things fabric design, Spoonflower-style. I was the tech expert for the book, putting together all of the step-by-step instructions.

I have received a number of grants and awards from Jerome and McKnight Foundations, Bell Museum, and the MN State Arts Board for my work. These projects included an "unexpected art" collaboration with local museums, a neighborhood partnership grant to create public art utility box wraps in a local neighborhood, studying and illustrating Minnesota native plants, and illustrating a book about music and musicians in Minnesota. I am a member of the American Craft Council Artists Directory.

In 2023, I completed my Book Arts Certificate from the MN Center for Book Arts. To view my formal teaching and exhibitions resume, you can click here: BeckaRahnResume.

I served on the board of directors of the Hennepin History Museum in Minneapolis and the Weavers Guild of MN and as the MN State Rep to the Surface Design Association. I am really committed to making art in my community whenever I have the opportunity. I have an Etsy shop full of handmade kits, fiber art geekery, puns and wordplay. I also have taught for and design fabrics at Spoonflower.

I have a creative computer geeky husband and a large yellow lab named Stanley. We like to go on long rambling photo walks in search of lattes, squirrels and milkbones. My favorite colors are turquoise, green and orange. I am an avid reader, especially of sci-fi, space opera, and historical fiction. I love jazz standards, live theater, and Japanese food. I am a big geek for board games and played my first D&D campaign in 2020.