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Portia Marie York
Fiber Artist
About the Author
Dr. Portia Marie York is the Founder and CEO of York Creative Education Group, a professor of fiber arts, and a nationally recognized creative educator whose work sits at the intersection of art, STEM/STEAM education, and equitable learning design. A practicing fiber artist for over 20 years, she teaches fibers courses at Lenoir-Rhyne University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, while also exhibiting her work in regional galleries and leading global crochet workshops.
Her recent work has been Featured in galleries and museums, including The Turchin Center for Visual Arts at Appalachian State University (Boone, NC), Gaston County Museum of Art & History (Dallas, NC), Jeanne Rauche Gallery at Gaston College (Dallas, NC), the South Carolina State Museum’s Traveling Exhibition Program (10-month exhibition), and the City of Charleston’s Annual African American Fiber Artists Exhibit: 2016, 2017, 2022 (Charleston, NC), among other venues. Dr. York is also the author of The Influence of Dramatic Arts on Literacies for Black Girls in Middle School, further reflecting her commitment to culturally responsive, arts-integrated education.
Dr. York holds a B.A. in Sociology, a Master of Management, a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Urban Education, and certification in Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques. Her research explores two primary areas:
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Crochet + Mathematics Integration to support Black girls in STEM/STEAM, and
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The Well-Being Benefits of Crochet as a creative, meditative, and community-building practice.
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Before launching York Creative Education Group, Dr. York served for 16 years as a school administrator supporting students with diverse learning needs. Her career centers on building sustainable systems that expand access, foster creativity, and advance equity. She has secured diversified funding streams for education and arts initiatives, scaled innovative programs across multiple states, and developed transformative, data-driven learning experiences for underrepresented youth.
A lifelong fiber artist since age 10, Dr. York draws inspiration from trailblazing creatives such as Xenobia Bailey, Bisa Butler, Faith Ringgold, Nick Cave, Jo Hamilton, Olek, Toshiko MacAdam, and Nneka Jones. She has taught crochet and fiber arts workshops in Charlotte, NC; Haiti; Guatemala; and the Bahamas, and founded a crochet club for middle and high school students at The John Crosland School in Charlotte. Her teaching emphasizes that crochet is both a concrete mathematical practice and a powerful creative art form, one that supports identity development, confidence, and emotional well-being.
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