Member Program: Collector Conversations: Bea Roberts
In person, Friday, December 12, 2025, 1-2 p.m.
Festival jacket (detail), China, 20th century. The Textile Museum Collection 2015.8.158. The Bea Roberts Collection of Minority Textiles.
In this program series, members are invited to conversations between curators and collectors whose donated textile treasures feature in Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles.
Senior Curator Lee Talbot joins collector Bea Roberts to discuss how her travels to southwest China sparked her interest in traditional costume worn by minority cultures in this region. The Textile Museum Collection is now home to nearly 300 textiles and jewelry items that she acquired during these trips. Roberts shares her collecting journey and highlights stories of artworks selected for Enduring Traditions and the 2018 exhibition Vanishing Traditions: Textiles and Treasures from Southwest China.
About the Exhibition
Around the globe, textiles have long played a role in celebrations, performances and religious observances. On the occasion of The Textile Museum’s centennial, Enduring Traditions: Celebrating the World of Textiles explores the cultural significance of treasures from the collection. From royal robes to ceremonial carpets, these exceptional textiles reveal the traditions and values of communities across continents. Learn more about the exhibition
About Bea Roberts
Bea Roberts is a jewelry and fiber artist based in Eugene, Oregon. She assembled an extensive collection of textiles and jewelry representing minority cultures in southwest China, sourced during trips to this region. In 2015, she donated her collection to The Textile Museum, ensuring its preservation, research and display.
About Lee Talbot
Senior Curator Lee Talbot is a specialist in East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian textiles. Before joining The Textile Museum in 2007, he served as curator at the Chung Young Yang Embroidery Museum in Seoul, Korea. He has a bachelor’s from Rhodes College, a M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a master’s from Bard Graduate Center.
How to Participate
This program is for museum members and will take place online. If you are already a member, please register online to reserve your spot. If you are not currently a member, you can join or renew online.
About Member Programs
Support the museum and enjoy access to special members-only programs, including curator talks and behind-the-scenes tours. Browse upcoming programs