By Barbara Arnstein
Looking for a new and interesting exhibit you can visit, or a craft class you can enjoy while winter continues? How about viewing some colorful fiber art featuring scenes from nature, or taking a class to learn how to make your own arty fiber objects? Early this January, the exhibit “Community Threads: Traditional and Contemporary Fiber Arts” began in the Harold L. Olmsted Gallery at 37 Buffalo Street. The reception for it will be held on January 26th from 6:30-8pm.
The items on display at the gallery include a creative depiction of an owl, trees casting shadows and a cloudy landscape. The exhibit is offering several classes to introduce interested participants to the world of fiber art between February 3rd and March 27th.
The first class, which will be given on Saturday February 3rd, 2024, from 9am-1pm, will introduce students to the basics of weaving. Each participant will learn about the elements of weaving, by using pre-selected materials and a pre-warped frame loom. The lesson will include special tips and tricks for finishing and hanging their work. At the conclusion of the class, everyone in it will have acquired weaving knowledge and have completed a fiber art piece. It, and all the other craft classes, will be held in the Vacanti Classroom in the Springville Center for the Arts in Springville. The weaving class will be taught by Tami Fuller, and the cost for it is $68 for members and $75 for non-members.
On Saturday, February 17th, the classroom craft will be: Needle Felted Mushrooms. Participants will transform fluffy wool into charming mushrooms using needle felting. The cost for members is just $22, and non-members $25, and it will be taught by Debbie Retzlaff.
On Saturday, February 24th, from 10am-noon, the focus will be on the art of crafting Wet Felted Vessels.
Students will learn to transform soft wool into a bowl or vase using the technique of wet felting. What is wet felting? It is the process of continuously rubbing wool fibers together with soap and water to form a firm, felted object. Intrigued? To learn the novel technique, sign up soon. The instructor is Suzanne O’Brien. The cost of the class is $40 for members and $45 for non-members.
On Thursday, March 14th, 2024, the third class, Introduction to Fabric Multimedia will take place, from 1-4:30pm. Participants get to experiment with a variety of mediums to create their own art cloths, and leave with pieces of art that can be used for future projects. the instructor is Mary Ann Fritz. The cost for members will be $40, and for non-members, $45.
On Wednesday, March 27th, the subject of the crafts class will be: Basket Weaving. The class will be held from 12noon-4pm, and will cost $68 for members, and $75 for non-members. Participants will make a rope bowl using basic warp and weft and twining techniques. When finished, the soft bowl will still be firm enough to hold its shape. The craft, suitable for beginners, will feature neutral tones and reflected light. The weaving and basketry techniques will be taught by Tami Fuller, who also teaches the basic weaving class.
The Harold L. Olmsted Gallery, at the Springville Center for the Arts is located at 37 North Buffalo Street, in Springville, NY. It is open Wednesdays between 10am-5pm, Thursdays from 10am-7pm, Fridays from 10am-5pm, and Saturdays from 10am-2pm. For more information, go to http://www.SpringvilleArts.org or call (716) 592-9038