Weaving Water Free Fiber Workshops at MWMO

2522 Marshall Street Northeast,Minneapolis MN 55418

23 April, 2022

Description

Weaving Water Free Fiber Workshops ABOUT: Each body of water has its own chemical composition, assortment of debris collected as it flows, and unique path carving shapes in the landscape. Waterways leave imprints on the land we can easily trace to reveal how the environment may have looked in a past century or millennium. By contrast, human systems are less transparent. Learn fiber art techniques and join in conversation about how the mystical chemistry of indigo influenced world history and still bears an imprint on our lives today. DATES: Each workshop will explore different aspects of fiber and indigo dye. Select the date you want from the red "select a time" button at top right. UPCOMING WORKSHOPS March 26: ( IN PERSON) Make and take an indigo vat to use at home! Judy Saye-Willis is based in Northfield and grows Japanese indigo (Persicaria tinctoria), an annual indigo plant that can be cut and harvested multiple times in a season. Judy has experimented with extracting indigo pigment from fresh leaves and sukomo (composted) leaves. Learn about the chemistry of indigo and how to build, use and care for an organic, non-toxic indigo vat. Learn more about Judy’s natural dye journeys on her website. Judy will demonstrate a variety of shibori techniques for us to practice while we wait for the indigo vats to reduce and become ready color cloth! (Click the link to see Judy demonstrate.) April 23: (TBD IN PERSON/ZOOM) Minneapolis based artist Emily Donovan loves being outdoors, watching things grow and learning about what colors can be made from nature. Emily's paintings are created on paper with handmade dyes from natural materials using methods and recipes that are centuries old and shared by all cultures. Celebrate what the natural world has to offer and the age old traditions of making color naturally that are passed from one generation to the next on Earth Day! May - Making Workshops: To make room for another art exhibition in May, Weaving Water will take a month off at MWMO. Sarah will be at her home studio creating the materials for the show installation. These opportunities are TBD and may involve take home kits, back yard felting, dyeing, and prep sessions, woodworking and more! Weaving Water will take over MWMO for the summer, bringing more Free Fiber Workshops for All to the public and inviting YOU to host a making session in the space. Details to come, but if this sparks your imagination, please reach out to Sarah by email ([email protected]). June 18: Attend the opening of Weaving Water, an exhibition of the fiber art of Sarah Nassif and the community of people who have attended workshops over the course of the year. Details to come! PAST WORKSHOPS October 16: Dip fiber in the water of the Missisippi and pattern it with indigo to create weft for weaving. Learn a variety of shibori techniques and play with different fibers. November 13: Wet felt a natural wool ball that can be dipped in the indigo vat. Learn how felting is the oldest form of fabric. Featuring a guest artist and natural dye expert Ceci Lewis! January 22: >>>UPDATE--THIS SESSION HAS MOVED TO ZOOM due to pandemic conditions. We are happy that zoom allows us to add an additional 20 tickets, however! You will recieve a dream pillow kit by mail in advance of the zoom session.<<<<<<< Weaving Water welcomes guest artist Amoke Kubat of YO MAMA's House for Stitch & Flow: Dream Weaving Stories from the Mississippi River Black Experience. Amoke will share stories of the African-American Mississippi River experience. MWMO artist-in-residence Sarah Nassif will teach simple stitching techniques all ages can enjoy. Sew a small indigo dyed dream pillow to fill with herbs for good dreams. Stitch, listen and find inspiration in the flow of the river, dreams and stories. February 26: >>>ZOOM SESSION<<<< Work with natural fibers and indigo dye as we explore how stories are made and shared in a live story making session with Minneapolis storyteller Beverly Cottman (aka Auntie Beverly). Learn how to saddle stitch a book signature to capture your own water story in. VOLUNTEER FOR WEAVING WATER: I may need a few people to help me create materials for the final exhibit to realize the full vision. Did you have fun felting? Dyeing with indigo? Stitching? Add on "volunteer" to your ticket or email [email protected] to learn more about opportunities beyond the free fiber workshops. LOCATION: All workshops are scheduled to be in person at MWMO (2522 Marshall St NE). In the case of a COVID-19 situation that calls for building closure, the workshops will be held via Zoom and project kits will be mailed out. ATTIRE / COVID SAFETY: Dress in warm clothes that may be stained. We will be taking COVID-19 precautions and asking participants to mask and social distancing. Please bring a mask and apron if desired. Please stay home if you are experiencing any symptoms. Thank you for helping us stay healthy!