Textile Studio, a Saratoga Springs weaving shop, in collaboration with Saratoga Bridges, presents a one-day Fiber Forum for all ages and abilities at 143 Grand Ave in the Beekman Street Arts District, Saratoga Springs NY. This free, family-friendly, ADA accessible, interactive and educational event takes place on Saturday July 13 from 11 AM- 3 PM.
Eight regional fiber artists including spinners, weavers, machine knitter, feltmaker, quilter, and papermaker will be set up outdoors at the corner of Beekman St. and Grand Ave. Each artist will be demonstrating their craft and displaying finished items along with work in progress. Visitors can try out the equipment and craft materials with the artists' guidance. Saratoga Bridges, who provides programs for adults with developmental disabilities, will be onsite with students who participate in their Day Hab program weaving classes.
Fiber Forum contributors include Sheep shearer Joe Hamilton, Foster Sheep Farm, spinner Carole Foster, art quilter Susan Rivers, knitter Lioubov Ermalova, silk painter Kathy Klompas, felter Joy Muller-McCoola, paper maker Nanette Miranda and weavers Tegan and Eric Frisino.
Participant Susan Rivers stated “I am excited to be part of this celebration of fiber and thank the Textile Studio and Saratoga Bridges for creating this unique event and providing a venue to share my craft. I embrace any opportunity to educate the pubic on the quintessential folk art of quilting and its evolution into an art form. Keeping with the fiber theme, I will be demonstrating how to use silk fibers to create unique art quilts.”
Along with the live demos and displays of all the different fiber arts, there will be a “Sheep to Shawl” contest with 2 teams of spinners and weavers competing to complete a shawl from scratch - beginning with spinning fleece to winding bobbins, then to weaving the shawl warp on handlooms. Starting at 11 AM, our feature presentation will be Joe Hamilton who will be shearing sheep and discussing the process during the live demo.
Come and get all your questions answered about the fiber arts and try your hand on a loom, knitting machine or spinning wheel. Or just come to pet the beautiful sheep!
Questions, please call Textile Studio at 518-583-2129.
Saratoga Arts made this program possible with a Community Arts Grant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
