| affiliates | yadkin valley fiber center pilots master weaving program with support from nc arts spark the arts grant
This project was supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
| image | The instructors and students involved the pilot Master Weaving Certification Level One: Apprentice course, pictured in front of a loom in the window of the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center at 113 West Main Street in Elkin, North Carolina. | image credit | Sydney Sieviec
A rigorous Master Weaving certification program is the most recent addition to the variety of fiber arts classes and courses offered through the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center. The creation and implementation of this five-step series was supported in part by funding awarded to the Foothills Arts Center through a new grant initiative offered through the North Carolina Arts Council, entitled Spark the Arts.
The Master Weaver program is being developed by a team of three Olds College Master Weaving graduates, including Leslie Fesperman (Director of the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center), Pam Howard (retired resident weaver of the John C. Campbell Folk School), and Loretta Tucker (MEd). The advanced curriculum consists of both in-person and virtual learning opportunities and is one of the first of its kind in the United States.
“The program offers five complete week-long intensive studies, followed by students submitting independent study assignments to be marked. Completion of each level is a prerequisite for the next, and passing students will have demonstrated knowledge and expertise at each level of the program. Students who complete the program will be educated ambassadors to the craft of weaving and will be able to competently share, teach, and inform others in this heritage craft.”
During the summative week of in-person classes (February 2023) offered to the pilot Master Weaving apprentices, five students presented a brief overview of their challenges and accomplishments as a reflection on their coursework. The students referenced ten of their sample assignments.
The first presenter, Sarah, noted that she particularly enjoyed learning about drawdowns, stating that they allowed her to better understand weave structure and understand what is going on at the loom. “Knowing how to do a drawdown has added an element of creativity and design to my work, rather than feeling like I’m following a recipe.”
Cheryl, the second student to speak about her experience, mentioned that unlike most learning opportunities, the model for weaving isn’t “see one-do one-teach one,” as weaving is a very complex art. She reflected on her intentions for the course, saying she had modest hopes of learning how to be a better weaver, and instead found that she “gained a whole toolbox!”
The third student to demonstrate was Amy, a woman who has long been drawn to sewing, and loves fiber, fabric, and textures. Amy stated that she holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in textiles and fibers, but her knowledge of weaving was self-taught and she admitted that she had developed “bad” habits, which made her afraid to try complicated patterns. Before embarking on the Master Weaving course, she was worried about breaking warp threads or placing heddles. Amy said, “The class gave me more security about how to follow the patterns and gave me a better understanding of my creative process. I was thrilled when I learned about the course and loved having a local option. I’ve had looms for years but was never able to use them to their fullest potential. I loved the whole week; loved meeting everyone, working with everyone, and loved the energy. It was a wonderful week and I’m already looking forward to the second one!”
| image | Miniature tapestry weaving offered an opportunity to create a more organic composition with less structure than a traditional weaving. Most of the students chose to represent mountains, water, or sky. “I loved the little tapestry assignment. This [tapestry] was a representation of the Elkin River and beautiful sky one morning as I was driving in.” — Cheryl, Master Weaving student | image credit | Sydney Sieviec
Beth followed Amy’s presentation with a brief presentation of her own, noting that the experiences that were new to her were inkle looms and double weave. She also determined that due to her shorter stature, several of the looms she had the opportunity to experiment with during the course of the week were too tall for her; she now feels more informed about what specifications to look for when purchasing a loom of her own.
The inclusion of a popular miniature tapestry weaving assignment meant that students had the opportunity to experiment with multiple types of looms.
“I loved trying the variety of looms, and I discovered I really loved the counter-march loom. (My husband is already worried about my impending loom purchase.) I also realized I didn’t love the rigid heddle loom, and its good to know that!”
Finally, Courtney — a returning student who had taken classes offered through the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center while it was located within the Foothills Arts Center — commented that she signed up for the class because learning online “leaves something to be desired, and I wanted to have a good weaving foundation.” Reflecting on her progress, she said that while the list of assignments was intimidating and overwhelming initially, she realized she just had to be fearless and she got it done! “Take it one step at a time. Just get started and the rest follows.”
The mantra during the first weeklong in-person intensive was “Perfection? No. Perfecting? Yes.” With the determination demonstrated by this pilot group, the Master Weaving program is off to an exciting launch.
If you’d like to learn more about the Yadkin Valley Fiber Center Master Weaving program, please click below:
| select student samples from the weeklong intensive
(click any image to enlarge)
| image credit | Sydney Sieviec
| about spark the arts
The North Carolina Arts Council announced support for 130 nonprofit organizations through their new Spark The Arts grant category during the 2022-2023 fiscal year. In total, the Arts Council is investing $2,484,071 to support programming centered around audience re-engagement and inclusion. Grant amounts range from $3,000 to $30,000.
The arts spark vitality, healing, and fellowship. These qualities are what kept North Carolina’s arts sector resilient through the pandemic. The Spark the Arts grant category places a special emphasis on strategies to engage audiences and participants in this effort.
The Spark the Arts grant funding at the Foothills Arts Center will reactivate, expand, and deepen the quality of learning experienced by youth and adult students, with funds split evenly between four programs: ceramics, fiber arts, violin luthier, and youth art. We are so honored to be a recipient of a Spark the Arts grant!