Gerhardt Knodel is an American contemporary textile artist, academic administrator, and educator. He was the head of the Fiber Department at Cranbrook Academy of Art from 1970 to 1997 and served as the director from 1997 to 2007. His work has gained international recognition and has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Japan-American Friendship Fellowship, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the James Renwick Alliance, and the State of Michigan. Knodel was awarded the Gold Medal by the American Craft Council.