The Textile Society of America notes with sadness the passing of our member and colleague, Dilys E. Blum, on December 27, 2025. A visionary force in the field, she was The Jack M. and Annette Y. Friedland Senior Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for nearly four decades, where she retired as Curator Emeritus in June 2025.
For our members who may recall her presentation during our 2020 and 2021 Textiles Close Up series, she shared the groundbreaking exhibitions, Art of the Zo: Textiles from Myanmar, India, and Bangladesh and Off the Wall: American Art to Wear, a landmark project that helped reframe a long-overlooked movement. Her curatorial legacy is profound, encompassing more than forty exhibitions from the iconic Shocking!: The Art and Fashion of Elsa Schiaparelli to Patrick Kelly: Runway of Love, that consistently challenged and expanded the understanding of textiles and costume within the art museum.
A scholar and author whose expertise was matched by her generosity, Blum elevated the global conversation around textile arts. We extend our deepest condolences to her family, her colleagues at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and her many friends worldwide. Her rigorous scholarship and expansive vision will be deeply missed.
