2023 Fall Highlights: Craft in Schools Field Trips
What a whirlwind fall we had at Craft in Schools! We couldn’t have run nearly a dozen fieldtrips and class visits without our main textile/multimedia artist, California Fibers organizers, & fellow educator Cameron Taylor Brown. Brown is a long time educator, Textile Arts Los Angeles board member, and founder of the textile resource centerĀ ArtsGarage. We were also joined by Ashley Blalock from our Fall group exhibition, as we connected with Palms Middle School’s student-run Crochet Club. The backdrop for this season of dynamic programming included beautiful tapestries, textile, and multimedia installations from artists of the renown California Fibers Collective as featured in our Influences/Influencers: California Fibers exhibition.
From September to December, Cameron Taylor Brown and I (Sam) engaged, and taught over 200 students across five schools the art of creating one’s own loom, collage-weaving, and embroidery. Many of our lessons explored the global-tradition of weaving textiles, how garments, sustainable practices, and how multimedia art typically relegated to the realm of femininity have shaped many industries and social change movements the world over. Students shared their questions, insights, and related craft art to their own meaning making and cultural sense of belonging through our gallery visits, partner activities, and hands-on projects.
It was wonderful encouraging and witnessing students’ design and methodical weaving skills grow in each session. Many of the middle schoolers even learned first-hand how to “warp” a piece of cardboard firmly enough to create a d.i.y. loom, proving once again that creating art doesn’t have to feel inaccessible or wasteful. Special thanks to the following schools, teachers, and chaperone collaborators at: Rosewood Elementary, Joseph Le Conte Middle School, Palms Middle School, Fairfax High School, and Van Nuys High School.
For more information about our Craft in Schools program or teaching artist opportunities, please contact (me) Sam@craftinamerica.org or center@craftinamerica.org