As we begin this journey across the amazing landscapes of Portugal, we will bring our stories to life with workshops, artists residencies, beautiful photographic books, interactive digital platforms, social media, full-length documentary and most importantly, the development of an innovative R&D hub. Our goal is to study artistic processes and determine opportunities to implement excess textile waste (a global issue) into the preservation of the heritage arts & crafts.
Our priority is to interview, document and lovingly tell the stories of artisans, industries and handicrafts for the people of Portugal and beyond.
We plan to connect these heritage artists to those that appreciate, respect, and support the crafts of Portugal.
We aim to share the vast heritage handicrafts that are unique to Portugal. We strive to maintain sustainable development for Portuguese handicrafts, breaking down the tools, techniques and materials which constitute a physical and intangible heritage to be protected at all cost.
By filming the process and development of our projects, we aim to capture the personal and emotional connections sparked throughout the duration of the research. Our end goal is to create a storytelling documentary to share our journey with other like minded people, communities and organizations worldwide.
Our aim is to share the beauty of those we encounter, from the perspective of a diverse team of individuals from various countries, including Portugal, Brazil, the USA, Poland and Lithuania.
Founder/CEO/Art and Project Direction
Donna Marie Bowman-Coe is a textile engineer, designer, and creative strategist with over 25 years of experience across the global apparel and textile industry. Raised in South Texas and shaped early by travel, craft, and cultural exchange, her work is rooted in curiosity, problemsolving, and a deep respect for materials and the hands that shape them. Donna studied Textile Development & Marketing and Fabric Styling at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City, launching a career that spans small studios to large international brands across the United States and the UK. Her work has taken her throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas, collaborating with agents, mills, artisans, and manufacturers to develop innovative, commercially viable, and responsible textile solutions. Known for bridging technical expertise with creative vision, Donna specializes in material innovation, textile waste reduction, and the integration of heritage craft practices into modern production systems. Her approach blends research, experimentation, and design thinking to create sustainable pathways for both industry and culture. Now based full-time in Portugal, Donna continues her work at the intersection of craft, sustainability, and circular design—building projects that honor tradition while reimagining the future of textiles. She lives with her family and a small menagerie of four-legged collaborators.
Author/Journalist/Research
Born in Figueira da Foz, she moved to Lisbon after high school to study Classical Literature at the University of Lisbon. She has worked with several newspapers and digital publications. Her work draws on international field research, including reporting in Guinea and Cabo Verde (2014), Iraq (2015), and Poland (2017), focusing on migration, conflict, and contemporary geopolitics.
Project Manager
Her creative playground lies at the intersection of ceramic art and food creation, where she explores color, texture, sensation, and quiet existential wandering through continual experimentation. A natural multitasker, she is driven by curiosity and enthusiasm for life, language, dance, and the many ways humans connect, communicate, and share experiences across disciplines and cultures.
Brand Manager, Designer
In 2012, she left her role at a creative agency to begin a journey that reshaped her professional path. Since then, she has collaborated with companies and organizations across Asia, Europe, and the United States, helping them clarify their vision and express their uniqueness through thoughtful brand strategy and design that brings purpose, identity, and impact into focus.
Photographer
With 15 years of experience in photography, he is a graduate of the Escola Superior Artística do Porto. While living in Paris, he worked alongside Giacomo Bretzel, an experience that shaped his visual approach. He later returned to Portugal, where he began his career as a freelance photographer, developing a practice grounded in craft, collaboration, and a strong contemporary sensibility.
Writer
A Portuguese-Brazilian writer and communication strategist, she brings experience across film and television editing and production, book editing, content creation, screenwriting, and project management. Her interdisciplinary background includes a Master’s degree in World Gastronomy (Food Studies), a postgraduate qualification in Visual Arts, and a Bachelor’s degree in Cinema, informing a practice that bridges storytelling, culture, and creative strategy.
Photographer and filmmaker
Originally from Brazil, he specializes in authorial photographic series, developing a contemporary practice marked by a sensitive observation of everyday life. His visual narratives reveal a photojournalistic eye immersed in the atmosphere of the spaces he moves through. Like Atget, he captures places with cinematic ambiguity—rich in silence, latent action, and quiet magnetism.
Grant Coordinator
Mariana is a cultural project manager, producer, artistic programmer, and consultant with nearly 20 years of experience in the cultural sector. Her work spans education, management, programming, and production across institutions in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Lisbon, and Porto. She holds a Master’s in Artistic Studies (FBAUP, Portugal), postgraduate training in Visual Arts (Unicamp), and degrees in Portuguese Language and Literature (USP, Brazil).