Building a Year-Round Fiber Arts Community
The Brazos Valley has a rich and growing community of fiber artists, makers, teachers, small businesses and people who simply find meaning in working with their hands — knitting, crocheting, weaving, spinning, quilting, sewing, embroidering, dyeing and felting across Bryan, College Station and the surrounding region. Brazos Valley Fiber Arts exists to help those people find one another, and it began as Brazos Valley Fiber Fest, an annual celebration that brought together artists, vendors, teachers and fiber enthusiasts from across the region.
What We Are Building
Our long-term goal is a brick-and-mortar home for fiber arts in the Brazos Valley — a welcoming, accessible space for classes, teaching, gathering, exhibiting, shared resources and the everyday practice of sitting down together to make something. It’s for beginners and experienced artists alike, traditional handcrafts and contemporary textile art.
We’re not waiting for the building to begin the work. While we build the financial and organizational foundation for a permanent location, BVFA is creating programs now — through community venues, collaborations, pop-up events and partnerships throughout Bryan–College Station and the surrounding area.
A Volunteer-Run Orgnization
Brazos Valley Fiber Arts is currently led and operated by volunteers. The people serving on our board and in chair positions have jobs, businesses, families, creative practices and full lives of their own — and alongside those responsibilities, they contribute substantial unpaid time to developing programs, coordinating events, forming partnerships, maintaining communications, building organizational systems and creating the foundation for BVFA’s future.
This work is happening because they believe the Brazos Valley deserves a visible, welcoming and sustainable fiber arts community.
As BVFA grows, we hope to develop the resources needed to compensate teachers, artists, contractors and eventually staff for the professional work required to sustain the organization. At this stage, the daily building of BVFA is being carried by people who have chosen to offer their time, experience and care to something they believe can serve the entire region.
Meet Our Board
The BVFA Board of Directors provides governance, financial oversight, organizational leadership and strategic direction. Each board member also contributes directly to the practical work of building and operating the organization.
Board members are listed by role so that the responsibilities of the organization remain connected to the position, rather than depending entirely on one individual.
Brittany Hensley President
Brittany Hensley is the President of Brazos Valley Fiber Arts, bringing her passion for learning and creating together with her background in education and program leadership. She believes fiber arts should feel accessible to everyone — whether someone is picking up a crochet hook for the first time or has been creating for decades.
Her goal is for BVFA to be a welcoming place where people can learn, connect with other makers, and find meaningful ways to showcase their work. Brittany’s primary fiber arts are knitting and crochet, and she hopes to add yarn dyeing to her creative practice.
The President provides organizational leadership, guides board meetings and helps ensure that BVFA’s programs and decisions remain aligned with its mission and long-term goals.
Miriam Rieck Vice-President
Miriam Rieck is the Vice President of Brazos Valley Fiber Arts. As a strategic creative and experienced administrator, Miriam brings organizational development, communications, writing and long-range vision to the board. She is particularly passionate about building BVFA into a sustainable, year-round organization that supports fiber artists, expands educational opportunities and creates meaningful spaces for connection throughout the Brazos Valley. In her personal life she is a writer, published author, award-winning photographer, visual essayist and emerging textile artist. She lives with her Dogue de Bordeaux, Roux, in Bryan Texas.
The Vice President supports the President, assists with strategic development and helps coordinate the organizational systems, communications and partnerships needed to move BVFA forward.
Maria Crowell Secretary
As a California-transplant, Maria had been looking for a place to feel like a part of something, rather than apart from everything. She finally found what she was looking for within a small group of knitters & crocheters. Through them she has been able to expand her abilities with fiber, as well as found a community of good friends. It has been through them she got involved with BVFA, where she is able to utilize her skills of organization and detail orientation to help build and fortify the growing community of fiber artists within BCS. Maria resides in College Station, Texas with her cats Helga and Minerva. She loves color, cats , and creativity. In her [limited] free time, she enjoys musicals, theatre, music, D&D, and photography.
The Secretary maintains official records, meeting minutes and organizational documentation while helping the board remain informed, organized and accountable.
Alexandria Lewis Treasurer
Alexandria Lewis is proud to serve as the Treasurer for Brazos Valley Fiber Arts, combining her love of numbers with her passion for crochet. She has been crocheting for years and enjoys creating handmade items, learning new techniques, and sharing her enthusiasm for fiber arts with others. With a professional background in bookkeeping and accounting, Alexandria brings strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a commitment to responsible financial stewardship. She is honored to support BVFA’s mission of fostering creativity, friendship, and a welcoming community for fiber artists of all skill levels.
The Treasurer oversees financial records, reporting, budgeting and basic fiscal accountability, helping BVFA use its resources responsibly and transparently.
Stephanie Pope Community Outreach Director
Stephanie Pope serves Brazos Valley Fiber Arts as the Community Outreach Director, welcoming new supporters and helping build a connected arts community. By day, she’s an elementary school science teacher; by evening, she’s often knitting, turning colorful yarn into cozy creations one stitch at a time. Stephanie and her husband of 33 years are proud parents of one son and a chocolate labrador retriever. Patience, creativity and a little magic — that’s Stephanie’s approach, whether she’s teaching kids or making something by hand.
The Membership and Support Director helps welcome participants, supporters and volunteers while developing ways for people to become meaningfully connected to BVFA.
Sandy Huelsebusch Programming
Sandy Huelsebusch serves as the Events & Programming Director of the BVFA, bringing dedication, reliability, and a heart for service to the organization. A proud Bryan resident, Sandy is a devoted wife, the mother of four & a son-in-law, and YaYa to four grandkids who treasures the time with her family. When she’s not organizing events, you’ll often find her creating beautiful handmade projects with her favorite hobbies—cross-stitching and crocheting. Sandy’s warmth, attention to detail and commitment to her community make her a valued member of the BVFA.
The Programming Director helps develop classes, gatherings, exhibitions and special events while coordinating with teachers, artists, venues and program chairs.
UNFILLED
Development & Sponsorship
This seat is currently open.
Interested in helping BVFA build the financial and community partnerships that sustain our work? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out to Contact@brazosvalleyfiberarts.org to learn more about this role.
The Development and Sponsorship Director helps build the financial and community relationships that sustain BVFA through grants, sponsorships, fundraising and collaborative support.
Meet Our Program & Festival Chairs
BVFA chairs provide focused leadership for specific programs, events and areas of organizational development.
Chair positions allow experienced volunteers to lead important parts of the work while collaborating with the board member responsible for that area. Chairs may oversee annual events, communications, programming, community partnerships, exhibitions, volunteer teams or other developing initiatives.
Lisa Urban
Fiber Fest Chair
Lisa Urban is a Bryan, Texas–based artist, educator, and fiber artist. Originally from Kansas, she relocated to Texas in 2014 to pursue opportunities through a range of artist programs. She currently serves as an art teacher for grades 6–12 at St. Joseph Catholic School. With a lifelong commitment to creative practice, Lisa developed a particular focus on fiber art during her college years and has continued to cultivate her work in the medium. Since 2017, she has operated under the name “The Knitting Artist,” creating hand-dyed yarn for makers and fiber enthusiasts. In 2024, Lisa began collaborating with community members to establish the Brazos Valley Fiber Festival, which held its inaugural event in 2025. As the festival expands, she continues to provide leadership and support in her role as Fiber Festival Committee Chair.
The Brazos Valley Fiber Fest Chair leads the planning and coordination of the annual festival. This position works closely with the BVFA board, festival committee, vendors, teachers, volunteers and community partners to create a successful and welcoming event.
Meet Our Support Staff
Ziporah Paskman Marketing Coordinator
Ziporah joins us remotely from the other side of the Gulf, but once called Brazos Valley home. She’s the creative force behind Buzzworthy Media, where she builds and maintains the BVFA website and keeps pages and calendars up to date alongside the various Board positions. When she’s not at her desk, she’s attempting to learn macrame.
If you’d like to contact Ziporah for your own business marketing needs, reach out to her at: ziporahp@youarebuzzworthy.com
Join Us In Building BVFA
The people listed on this page are helping lead the work, but Brazos Valley Fiber Arts is not meant to belong only to its board or volunteers.
It belongs to the artists who teach, the makers who attend, the businesses that offer support, the community partners who open doors and the people who arrive with a project in their hands—or with no experience at all.
There are many ways to become part of what we are building.