Passle Helminski is an accomplished visually impaired textile artist and educator. A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Helminski graduated from Mercyhurst College with a BA in Art, an MA from Edinboro University in 1988, and an MFA in Weaving and Textiles from Edinboro in 1994. Helminiski has shared her expertise by teaching as an adjunct professor at Mercyhurst College and Gannon University, and taught at the Neighborhood Art House, an organization committed to providing art education youth and adults. Her dedication to accessibility in the arts has been recognized through multiple awards, grants, and residencies.

Helminiski has been making art since the age of two. She creates intricate textile work is known for its depth, texture, and storytelling and often reflecting themes of resilience and transformation. Her artwork has been exhibited across the United States, Europe, and Asia. She was a featured artist at Please Touch, a show for visually impaired artists in Seattle and the Second Sense show in Chicago. Helminiski is also plays flute, guitar, violin and piano and also loves racewalking. She views her love of racewalking and the arts as interconnected. “I can’t have one without the other. If I get stuck at art, I put on my shoes, harness up my dog and go out. If I’m still stuck, I pick up my flute or guitar and start working on that. Somehow, they all come together.”