Turkmenistan, 2025

The FELT Road: Remembering, Reimagining, and (Re)vitalizing Felt Making in Turkmenistan

Date: January - December 2025

A partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Madison International Projects Office led to a successful proposal for a year-long project grant from the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.

The FELT Road: Remembering, Reimagining, and (Re)vitalizing Felt Making in Turkmenistan was a carefully planned inaugural project for The Felt Road Team — a conceptual model that could evolve and expand over time across continental Asia and beyond.

Just hours before our departure for Turkmenistan, the Federal grant was frozen, the project was put on hold, and ultimately canceled. Even so, we remain dedicated to finding a way to continue working with Turkmen elders and artists to meet the goals outlined in our proposal for Turkmenistan.

We are committed to our mission of recognizing and honoring the Indigenous roots of Felt and supporting Indigenous artisans who uphold this tradition. We also aim to assist them in numerous ways to spark interest and appreciation among young people, as well as to enhance marketability. This will foster economic growth for traditional artwork and potentially boost interest in contemporary fields like fashion and interior design.