Business & Looms, Weaving & Technology
In my last update, I described how new opportunities had completely derailed my art making. Well, the trend continues!
In September, I was accepted into a 10-week entrepreneurial class: The Business of Art by the Center for Cultural Innovation. The program website describes it best: If you are an artist, you have an arts business. Get the entrepreneurial tools and resources you need to sustain and thrive as an artist.
My cohort was extra special: it was comprised of San Jose / South Bay artists and was fully funded by the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs. Can you spot me and a special guest in the picture below?
I left this workshop with a much better understanding of how to live a self-sustaining, creative life. And I learned so much about myself. My key takeaways:
I value my creative independence and don’t want to compromise my artistic explorations. I need time and space to make completely weird and unsellable work (see below).
Curiosity and play is at the heart of everything I do. I embody those values and inspire others to do the same.
I enjoy charting my own path. Piecing together different opportunities and income streams – having a portfolio career – might better fit my personality than having one full-time job.
My work and process is niche. That’s something I need to lean into and not despair over.
My makerspace membership gives me access to tools and resources that can help my art practice and assist in sustaining my livelihood.
At the end of the workshop, I launched a business that’s adjacent to my creative practice: Fiber Curious Club. Under the guise of FCC, I was a vendor at two holiday markets, opened an online shop, and plan to teach classes in 2024.
I’m excited to see where this leads!
I would absolutely love to teach multi-shaft weaving classes, but I need looms for my students to weave on. To that end, I added two table looms to my textile family. (Thanks, Craigslist!)
The first addition is a 15” Sievers 4-shaft loom which I’ve named Marigold. She arrived in sorry condition. After some TLC, she looks beautiful and weaves wonderfully. I love her and I’m sure my students will, too.
My second acquisition is a 24” Leclerc Dorothy table loom. She comes with 12 shafts total, grouped in removable sets of 4. Which means I can configure her as a 4-, 8-, or 12-shaft loom…. or maybe build two additional frames and have three 4"-shaft looms?!
The Dorothy and I aren’t good friends, unfortunately. She’s loud. And it takes a lot of force to change the shafts and lock them into place. Not a great experience for new weavers. We’ll see what I can do to make her more palatable.
Another unfortunate thing: I had to disassemble Edna to fit these new table looms in my life. At some point, I hope to have enough space to reassemble her again (a dedicated weaving classroom?!?!). However, if there is someone local who is interested in a counterbalance loom, I’m willing to sell her to a good home! Message me.
Let’s switch to happier news. I’ve started weaving again! And unweaving. And reweaving.
For my latest project, I wove a blank cloth and and used the Direct-To-Garment Printer at Maker Nexus to print text on the fabric. The quote is from an embroidery sampler in the V&A collection (accession number B.539-2016).
After printing, I tied it back on my loom and carefully unwove it.
Then I rewove the piece, rotating or reflecting lines of weft.
P and I also took an LED “neon” light class at MN – my xmas gift! My DIY sign lives in my craft room / studio (obviously) and I can turn it on when making is in progress.
Happy holidays and happy new year! See you all in 2024. 🤗
Year of Stories recent reads: Here are a few to close out the year!
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
Nuclear Family by Joseph Han
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card