Category: Events

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Traveling in Sardinia – Experiences

Photo collage of various locations in Sardinia.

Join me for an armchair adventure into Sardinia’s majesty and indescribable beauty! The photos, videos, stories I’ll share in this event also hint at places we’ll visit in 2026 tours.

Step away from your daily routine and ease into a short armchair adventure to give yourself a glimpse of Sardinia’s majesty and indescribable beauty! Experience the beauty of Sardinia’s nature, culture, heritage, and arts through photos, short video clips, and stories that carry your mind and heart past the boundaries of what you think life should be like.

Since 2013, I’ve been traveling throughout Sardinia, which I consider the home of my heart. Over the years, many dear friends and many wonderful adventures have come my way, many off the beaten track.

To give you a sense of Sardinia and its magic, I’ll be sharing some of my experiences of Sardinia in this presentation. Some of the places I mention will be included in the 2026 tours I’m leading in May and October.

This event is free. Register here to attend.

Textiles in photos © Isa Frongia, Gabriella Lutzu, Eugenia Pinna 

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You Said You Want to Tour Sardinia . . .

Photo collage of Sardinian locations with text stating 2026 Sardinia Tour Schedule Just Released

Life continues its fast pace, and I haven’t posted or written much in the past months because so much has been in motion – including me! 

May and June found me zig-zagging across Sardinia. I posted a few tidbits about my adventures while on the road, yet I prefer to stay present with the people, places, and experience in front of me, sharing photos and stories later. Over time, you’ll see these trickle out on social media, here on the blog, and in presentations.

July and the first part of August (the months tourists traditionally vacation in Sardinia!) found me heads-down at the computer planning new adventures — including the tours of Sardinia that so many of you have requested!

I just released details and registration for two 2026 tours. Both include visits to handweavers featured on this website, plus much more. Check them out: 

The two tours will be a bit different.

In May, we’ll spend more time with handweavers, in textile-related museums, and on textile-related adventures. We’ll also visit natural, historic, and sacred spaces of the island.

In October, we’ll visit the handweavers, yet spend less time on textile-related adventures and more time exploring other arts and cultural, historic, sacred, and natural areas. Weather permitting, the October tour may include a short boat excursion and a guided tour of breathtaking natural caverns.

If you’re a traveler — weaver or not — who wants to experience Sardinia and the island’s beauty, arts, culture, history, nature and textiles, come join me on a tour!  

~Kelly Manjula Koza

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Appreciating the Art of Sardinian Handwoven Textiles

A variety of colorful Sardinian textiles of various patterns

February 27 at 18.00 San Francisco Time (6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern) Register here

Join me online to explore the indescribable beauty of Sardinian handwoven textiles, see the loving and painstaking artistry of their creation, meet the tessitrici artigianali — the unique women weavers who maintain the tradition of a nearly-lost art – and glimpse just a bit of Sardinia’s majesty. 

I’ll discuss the importance these women, their weavings, and their traditions have in our modern world, the value of the handmade, and what the anima (spirit) of Sardinian handwoven textiles bring us. I’ll share portions of my film as well as photos, stories of the weavers and my adventures on the island, and show some of my personal textile collection.

Before the event, you’re invited to watch I Want to Weave the Weft of Time (free, 29 minutes) as an introduction to what we’ll discuss.

Register here for the event, which will be held on Zoom. You’ll receive the event link and automated reminders after you register.

Special Notes:

  • While I don’t usually record events, this presentation will be an exception. I’ll record and post the video on Vimeo for one week after the event for those who registered.
  • This presentation is free to members of Il Museo Italo-Americano, Italian Cultural Institute – San Francisco, and AWS-TCX. Use the discount code I provided to register.

I look forward to seeing you!

Kelly Manjula Koza

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A Glimpse of Sardinia – Presentation at Museo Italo-Americano, San Francisco on February 23, 2025

Text with dates and location of the event, A Glimpse of Sardinia

The Museo Italo-Americano, in conjunction with The Italian Cultural Institute-San Francisco, offers A Glimpse of Sardinia as part of the Museo’s Regional Sunday Series on February 23.

Kelly Manjula Koza, founder of Sardinian Arts, will share photos, film clips, and stories of the island with a focus on the tessitrici artigianali — the unique women weavers who maintain Sardinia’s ancient handweaving tradition, artfully expressing the Sardinian spirit through their work and textiles.

Discussion and tastes of traditional Sardinian food will follow the presentation.

Register in advance on the Museo site.

A Glimpse of Sardinia, Sunday, February 23, 2025, 4.30 to 6.30pm
Museo Italo Americano
Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Boulevard, Building C
San Francisco, CA 94123

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Photos and Stories of Sardinia – A Zoom Experience 

A winding road leading to the Sardinian shore

October 19, 2024 from 10 to 11.30am San Francisco Time

Experience a fleeting bit of Sardinian anima (spirit) in this brief armchair adventure with Kelly Manjula Koza, founder of Sardinian Arts, as shares her love of Sardinia and some of her adventures off the beaten track on this beautiful island. Through photos, video shorts, and stories told in her unique  personal manner, Kelly brings alive sights, sounds, and nature of select locales, provides a taste of Sardinian heritage and culture, and warms hearts as she talks of her beloved Sardinian extended famiglia and friends. 

While not Sardinian by birth, Kelly’s spent a good bit of time in Sardina, has a deep respect for the island, her people, and her heritage, and considers Sardinia the home of her heart. She’ll of course answer questions – and especially during this time, she invites participants to activate their cameras so all can connect more personally.

Kelly will of course answer questions – and especially during this time, she invites participants to activate their cameras so all have the experience of community.  

The event is free, yet advance registration is required. You’ll receive the Zoom link after you register.

The event is October 19, 2024 from 10 to 11.30am San Francisco time on Zoom. To convert the time to your time zone, see this time zone converter: https://www.worldclock.com/time-zone-converter/

The event will not be recorded. 

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Postponed – Live from Sardinia: Textile Designer Eugenia Pinna – Date TBD

Closeup of textile in complex pattern by Eugenia Pinna

September 25, 2024 – This event is postponed. Watch for updates here or in the newsletter. Apologies for the delay, yet we look forward to a wonderful presentation with Eugenia!

Eugenia’s designs incorporate Nule traditions with contemporary vision. Her work was recently featured in the one-woman exhibit, La Ricerca di una Textile Designer, at Spazio Ilisso in Nule, and can be seen on her own website, Sardinian Arts, and in select showrooms. 

Noted Sardinian Textile Designer Eugenia Pinna will present her work in a live online event NEW DATE TO BE DETERMINED. Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 10am Pacific/1pm Eastern. Eugenia will discuss her textiles and present a brief history of her work from her studio in Nule, Sardegna. The event is presented as a collaboration between Eugenia, Sardinian Arts, and the Italian Cultural Institute-San Francisco. The event is free.

Textile Designer Eugenia Pinna

Having absorbed the weaving tradition of Nule as a girl, Eugenia furthered her artistic ability at the European Institute of Design in Cagliari. Her works fuse the knowledge and skill of the traditional handweavers of Nule — expert in their knowledge of wool, natural colors, and the mechanics, techniques, and patterns suited to the vertical loom — with a modern design sensibility, complex and beautiful color combinations, and innovative shapes and designs that are uniquely hers. Simply stated, Eugenia has mastered what few can: She has blended the contemporary with the traditional to create warm and astoundingly beautiful works of art that have a presence and personality of their own.

The event will be held on Zoom; details will be provided upon registration. NEW DATE TBD.

Textiles © Eugenia Pinna. Contact for permission to reproduce. 

Closeup of rug designed by and copyright Eugenia Pinna.
Rug designed by and copyright Eugenia Pinna.
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The Importance of the Handmade – Online Event

Closeup photo of texture on pottery with special cracked glaze.

Handmade objects contain an anima, a spirit that connects us to our humanity, our community, and ourselves. 

Saturday, April 12 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern. Reserve your spot here.

Handmade items are a rarity, a luxury, and an often-overlooked aspect of our culture, humanity, and technology. More than this, in our high-tech, low-touch modern world, handmade items — foods, sweaters, textiles, tools, and more — are a necessity, elements that can and do connect us to our humanity, our community, and ourselves. 

Making and having handmade items had fallen into decline for some time as the glow of gizmos and automation courted old and young alike. However, an overabundance of technology, sameness, and using our hands only to press buttons has made many realize that “something’s missing”. Few realize that the “something” is the uniqueness, the feel, the anima (spirit) that handmade items convey. The spirit of each maker infuses the objects she makes, which in turn animate the lives of those who possess and use objects so lovingly, skillfully, patiently, and carefully made by hand. 

Explore the importance of the handmade in this online discussion with Kelly Manjula Koza, founder of Sardinian Arts. Sharing photos, stories, and videos, Kelly will talk of the spirit of the handmade, the makers, and how hand-making and handmade items revive individuals, communities, and traditions. Hand-making and the arts are again being taught, sought, and valued, as are the makers and the items they craft. Discussion is encouraged!

Join us on Saturday, April 12 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern. There’s no charge to attend, yet you must reserve your spot in advance. This event will not be recorded.

To convert the time to your time zone, go to the World Time and Date time zone converter.

Thanks to Rajita Antonia and Consult Feng Shui for co-sponsoring this event, and to Gab K Pottery for the cracked finish pot shown in the photo.

I look forward to seeing you!

Kelly Manjula Koza

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Weave a Real Peace — Fireside Chat Series

Weave a Real Peace (WARP) is an inclusive global network of individuals and organizations who value the social, cultural, historic, artistic, and economic importance of textile arts. A registered nonprofit in the USA, WARP works to improve the quality of life of textile artisans worldwide.

The group offers educational programs about traditional textile artists and related topics; runs programs to support textile artists; and provides information, resources, and technical assistance within the global textile arts community.  

Among other events, each month WARP hosts several Zoom-based meetings that enable members to talk informally and get to know one another. During each of these “Fireside Chats”, one member presents their organization and/or work. For the June 4 and 7 chats, I’ll be discussing Sardinian Arts and the tessitrici artigianali. 

While a growing number of events are open to the public, the WARP Fireside Chats are members-only events. You can read about the Fireside Chats and other upcoming WARP events here. 

If you are not already a WARP member, do consider becoming a member — WARP is most certainly a worthwhile organization to join and support!

~ Kelly Manjula Koza

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Online Presentation: Sardinian Handwoven Textiles: Exploring a Nearly-Lost Art, September 2021

This presentation will be September 15, 2021 at 6pm San Francisco time. The event is free, but you must register to attend.

Join me online for this free event to explore the indescribable beauty of Sardinian handwoven textiles, see the loving and painstaking artistry of their creation, meet the tessitrici artigianali — the unique women weavers who maintain the tradition of a nearly-lost art — and glimpse just a bit of Sardinia’s majesty.

I’ll discuss the importance of the handmade, the relevance these women, their weavings, and their traditions have in our modern world, and the anima (spirit) of Sardinian handwoven textiles. I’ll share portions of my film as well as photos, stories of the weavers and my adventures on the island, and show some of my personal textile collection.

There’s no charge for the event, but you must register ahead of time. Click here to go to Eventbrite and register. You’ll receive confirmation and reminder emails with the Zoom link to the event.

I look forward to seeing you!

~ Kelly Manjula Koza

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Filmmaker’s Screening: I Want to Weave the Weft of Time, August 2021

Join me for a free online screening of my documentary I Want to Weave the Weft of Time August 18, 2021 (Wednesday) from 6 to 7.30pm (18.00 to 19.30) San Francisco time.

I’ll add filmmaker’s commentary to provide a glimpse of how the film came about, the synchronicity of its making, working with the weavers, the soundtrack’s creation, and more. I’ll also share stories and additional video clips, including outtakes and works in progress, and answer questions.

There’s no charge for the event, but you must register ahead of time. Click here to go to Eventbrite and register. You’ll receive confirmation and reminder emails with the Zoom link to the event.

I look forward to seeing you!

~ Kelly Manjula Koza

© Kelly Manjula Koza unless otherwise noted.