Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Organizations Affiliated
Languages
Awards
Selected Exhibitions
Leadership Experience
Timeline
Generic

Oluyemisi Ajayi

Philadelphia

Summary

Dynamic professional with a strong background in textile design and project management, demonstrated through leadership at the Ford Foundation. Skilled in exhibition coordination and creative collaboration, I excel in facilitating workshops that educate and inspire. Recognized for my ability to analyze complex information and provide innovative solutions that enhance participant engagement.

Overview

32
32
years of professional experience

Work History

Member of the Advisory Council

The Welcoming Center
Philadelphia
01.2019 - Current
  • I provide insights into The Welcoming Center's participants' needs, challenges, and opportunities.
  • I offer guidance on participant engagement strategies, retention, and feedback on the quality of services, as well as potential new services.

Curatorial Research Assistant

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA)
Philadelphia
06.2022 - 08.2022
  • I provide support to curatorial staff by helping with a range of exhibition, collection, and research-related tasks, such as administrative, cataloging, and research tasks.
  • Additionally, I support promotional and educational programming.

Styling and Sale Consultant

Anthropologie Walnut Street
Philadelphia
01.2020 - 01.2022
  • Analyzed complex information from multiple sources to identify patterns or trends.
  • Recognized by management for providing exceptional customer service.
  • Assisted with customer requests and answered questions to improve satisfaction.
  • Managed time effectively to ensure tasks were completed on schedule and deadlines were met.

Styling and Sale Consultant|

Macy's City Center
Philadelphia
01.2017 - 01.2020
  • Analyzed complex information from multiple sources to identify patterns or trends.
  • Recognized by management for providing exceptional customer service.
  • Assisted with customer requests and answered questions to improve satisfaction.
  • Managed time effectively to ensure tasks were completed on schedule and deadlines were met.

Indigo Workshop

Philadelphia Handweavers Guild
Philadelphia
11.2017 - 11.2017
  • I offered a hands-on experience in the traditional art of wax-resist dyeing, using natural indigo. Participants learn to apply molten wax to fabric to create intricate designs, which are then dyed in indigo, resulting in unique patterns.
  • Workshops include instruction on the cultural significance of batik, the history of indigo dyeing, and techniques such as using a canting tool for detailed work.

Indigo Workshop

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
Hyattsville
06.2017 - 10.2017
  • I offered a hands-on experience in the traditional art of wax-resist dyeing, using natural indigo. Participants learn to apply molten wax to fabric to create intricate designs, which are then dyed in indigo, resulting in unique patterns.
  • Workshops include instruction on the cultural significance of batik, the history of indigo dyeing, and techniques such as using a canting tool for detailed work.

College and Post-Graduate Apprentice

The Fabric Workshop Museum
Philadelphia
06.2017 - 08.2017
  • The experience allowed me to develop skills in screen printing large-scale repeat patterns on fabric, engage in daily studio and museum operations, and support FWM’s mission to encourage experimentation and collaboration among contemporary artists, while sharing the process of creating art with the public.
  • I learned to create repeat pattern designs on Mylar using custom, water-soluble textile ink, registered multiple layers, and screen-printed designs, including one-color and three-color patterns.
  • I assisted with educational projects, public programming, visitor services, studio production, and archives. I also lectured about my work and visited local cultural organizations.

Creative Director/Founder

Arisimi Design
Lagos
01.1993 - 01.2016
  • Design textile products.
  • A creative director in the textile industry is responsible for the overall creative direction and vision of a company's textile designs, ensuring they align with the brand's image and target market.
  • They lead design teams, manage budgets and timelines, and collaborate with various stakeholders to bring creative concepts to life, from initial sketches to final production.

Indigo/batik workshop

The University of Arts
Philadelphia
01.2010 - 01.2011
  • I offered students a hands-on experience in the traditional art of wax-resist dyeing, using natural indigo. Participants learn to apply molten wax to fabric to create intricate designs, which are then dyed in indigo, resulting in unique patterns. Workshops often include instruction on the cultural significance of batik, the history of indigo dyeing, and techniques such as using a canting tool for detailed work.

Artist in Residence

Nigeria National Museum
Lagos
01.2008 - 01.2009
  • The opportunity allows artists to engage deeply with textile arts in a supportive and resource-rich environment. These residencies typically provide artists with studio space, access to specialized equipment, and opportunities for professional development. I collaborate with museum staff, participate in public programs, and may culminate my residency with an exhibition of my work.
  • I also focused on restocking the museum shop with Nigerian textile art and updating the museum's textile collections.

Project Coordinator

Ford Foundation Office of West Africa
01.2004 - 01.2005
  • I led the Three Countries Textile Collaboration Project, which involved ten textile artists from Mali, Nigeria, and Indonesia.
  • As the project coordinator for a Textile Artists Workshop and Exhibition Project, I played a crucial role in facilitating the smooth execution of textile-focused workshops and exhibitions.
  • This position connects artistic vision with practical implementation, ensuring that both educational and showcase events are conducted efficiently and effectively.

Contemporary Craft Organization
Pittsburgh
11.2018
  • I offered students a hands-on experience in the traditional art of wax-resist dyeing, using natural indigo.
  • Participants learn to apply molten wax to fabric to create intricate designs, which are then dyed in indigo, resulting in unique patterns.
  • Workshops often include instruction on the cultural significance of batik, the history of indigo dyeing, and techniques such as using a canting tool for detailed work.

Indigo workshop

Fleming Museum of Art, University of Vermont
Burlington
09.2017

Education

Certificate - Creative Art

The University of Lagos
Nigeria
01.1992

Undergraduate Degree - Art History, Textile

Moore College of Art and Design
Philadelphia, USA

Skills

  • Basic word processing
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Office
  • Collection Management
  • Curating
  • Exhibition designs
  • Research
  • Writing
  • Textile design
  • Exhibition coordination
  • Research analysis
  • Workshop facilitation
  • Data interpretation
  • Project management
  • Public programming
  • Effective communication
  • Creative collaboration
  • Cultural education

Organizations Affiliated

  • Fabric Workshop Museum, Philadelphia, PA
  • Philadelphia Guild of Hand Weavers, Philadelphia, PA
  • National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.
  • NextFab Studio, Philadelphia, PA

Languages

  • English, Proficient
  • Yoruba, Proficient

Awards

  • Artistic Innovative Practice in Textile Art, 01/01/08
  • 2nd, Festival of Arts, 01/01/08
  • Batik Artist in Residency, Brahma Tirta Sari Studio Workshop, 11/01/06, 03/31/07
  • Consultant on Art and Crafts of Southwestern Nigeria, Handicraft Organization, 01/01/04, 12/31/05
  • Arts in Education Program, Seattle Art Museum, 01/01/97
  • Taught Tie dye and batik workshop, Seattle Children's Museum, 01/01/96

Selected Exhibitions

  • Fabric of Being, International Conference for Population and Development, Nairobi, Kenya, 11/01/19
  • Women in Craft, Germantown, PA, 01/01/18
  • International Batik Conference and Exhibition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 01/01/07
  • Textile of Unity, Terra Cultural Exhibition, Lagos, Nigeria, 01/01/07
  • World Women Trade Fair, Santa Monica, CA, 01/01/08
  • Three Countries Textile Exhibition, America Cultural Center, Bamako, Mali, 01/01/05
  • Latin-America Cultural Conference and Exhibition, Bahia, Brazil, 12/01/01

Leadership Experience

  • Member, Advisory Council of The Welcoming Center, Philadelphia, PA, 01/01/19
  • Board of Directors, head of art/craft entrepreneur section, Center for Microentrepreneurs, Lagos, Nigeria, 01/01/01, 12/31/19

Timeline

Curatorial Research Assistant

The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA)
06.2022 - 08.2022

Styling and Sale Consultant

Anthropologie Walnut Street
01.2020 - 01.2022

Member of the Advisory Council

The Welcoming Center
01.2019 - Current

Contemporary Craft Organization
11.2018

Indigo Workshop

Philadelphia Handweavers Guild
11.2017 - 11.2017

Indigo workshop

Fleming Museum of Art, University of Vermont
09.2017

Indigo Workshop

Pyramid Atlantic Art Center
06.2017 - 10.2017

College and Post-Graduate Apprentice

The Fabric Workshop Museum
06.2017 - 08.2017

Styling and Sale Consultant|

Macy's City Center
01.2017 - 01.2020

Indigo/batik workshop

The University of Arts
01.2010 - 01.2011

Artist in Residence

Nigeria National Museum
01.2008 - 01.2009

Project Coordinator

Ford Foundation Office of West Africa
01.2004 - 01.2005

Creative Director/Founder

Arisimi Design
01.1993 - 01.2016

Certificate - Creative Art

The University of Lagos

Undergraduate Degree - Art History, Textile

Moore College of Art and Design

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Oluyemisi Ajayi