The North American Textile Conservation Conference is an international forum to share research, theory and practice in the field of textile conservation. NATCC aims to improve the quality of textile conservation through discussion of current practices and research. It does this by organizing biennial conferences and publishing the papers presented there.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
LIVING IN COLOR
16th NATCC Conference
November 2–5, 2027
Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico
LIVING IN COLOR: COLORING AGENTS AND TEXTILE CONSERVATION
Join us for the 16th biennial North American Textile Conservation Conference (NATCC), “Living in Color: Coloring Agents and Textile Conservation,” November 2–5, 2027. The meeting will be held once again in the city of Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, Mexico, with the Fundación Alfredo Harp Helú Oaxaca and the Museo Textil de Oaxaca as main hosting venues.
We invite presentations that explore color in its broadest sense. Subjects may include but are not limited to:
Drawing on science, art history, and current practices to identify coloring agents and methodologies.
Damage to color (fading, bleeding, “mutation” of color), provoked by color (dyes, pigments, inks, dyeing/printing methods), or appreciable through color (yellowing, stains).
Dyes and techniques applied on overlays and support fabrics, and methods of compensation on patterned textiles (multicolored, printed, resist-dyed) or those with both color and texture (velvet, lace, fur, feathers, beadwork).
Cleaning and/or bleaching of white textiles, including related considerations, ethics, and treatments.
Assessment of materials and lighting strategies for display, whether to preserve or highlight desired colors, or mitigate undesirable ones (yellowing, staining).
Conservators, curators, conservation scientists, art historians, archaeologists, anthropologists, collection managers, artists, preparators, and others engaged with these topics are invited to submit proposals for presentations. Collaborations among professions and institutions are encouraged. Projects already presented or published will not be considered and proposed projects must be completed by the end of 2026.
NEW THIS YEAR: Tips session abstracts will be considered in addition to those for papers and posters. These short presentations, limited to five minutes or less, focus on sharing practical knowledge. Tips sessions can provide an opportunity to showcase emerging professionals or crowdsource solutions. Although welcome, tips session submissions are not required to adhere to the theme. Please note that tips will not be published in the NATCC Preprints.
Abstracts for papers, posters, and tips must be submitted in English or Spanish as a Word document (no PDFs). Please indicate your preferred presentation format. Abstracts are limited to 300 words and must have a title. In the same document, please include a short biography (up to 100 words) and contact information (name, postal and email addresses, telephone number) for each author. Abstracts should not include images or other attachments. Please include your surname in your abstract file name (e.g., SmithNATCC27.docx).
Abstracts must be submitted by Monday, July 3, 2026, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please send a message to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you do not receive prompt confirmation of abstract submittal.
Abstracts will be peer reviewed by the NATCC board. Authors of selected papers and posters will be notified by September 30, 2026. Paper presenters are required to submit the full publication-ready version of their paper in English or Spanish by February 7, 2027. Poster presenters are required to submit their final poster as a PDF by August 30, 2027. All authors are responsible for obtaining rights and permissions to publish photographs and graphics.
Presentation formats will be 20 minutes for papers and 5 minutes for tips. Papers and posters are published in their original language and distributed at the conference along with printed abstracts in English and Spanish. Please email any questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and visit our website for updates at http://natcconference.com.
A PDF version of the 2026 call for submissions is available here.
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NATCC must be considered as a mandatory reference for those of us dedicated to textile heritage. It is a forum that promotes exchange and updating through collective reflection.
