Social Fabric is a collective art project and a fundraiser for the Food Bank of Western Mass. Throughout December, rug artisan Jo Hesse has been co-creating a large and extremely colorful felt rug with members of the community. The collaborative aspect is what Jo finds most exciting about her work – the moments of complete community – where creativity, physical activity, and resources are shared. A closing reception and auction will be held for the finished rug on Friday, January 27th at 6PM and all proceeds will be donated to The Food Bank. Our friend Melissa Ferrick, who recently played a show at Bombyx and fell in love with the project, has volunteered to emcee the auction.
The first week of the project will be spent designing the surface and arranging the colors of the rug. Then we will move on to turning the wool into cloth. We will use traditional techniques that Jo learned in Turkey, to make high quality, durable felt. Feltmaking is by nature a particularly communal activity, utilizing shared rhythms and a dance-like coordination of bodies. The collaborative aspect is what Jo finds most exciting about her work – the moments of complete community – where creativity, physical activity, and resources are shared, and something is able to be produced that one person alone would never have had the capacity to do. We will be inviting percussionists and improvisational musicians to jam to the rhythm of our work, keeping the beat for the feltmakers, while creating another layer of spontaneous communal art. There will be plenty of ways to participate for people of all ages and abilities. Attendance is free, but please sign up for either a felt or music making slot so that we can keep group sizes manageable.
Jo Hesse will be leading this month-long community rug making workshop & residency at Bombyx in December in the Music Room including some special events as part of the project.
Sign up or drop by Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 10am - 4pm. For additional days and times, see the registration link below.
Sign up here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094eaaae2cabfac07-social
WEEK FOUR
Tue December 20th; 10am - 4pm; also 6-7pm come early before the Kamauu Sound Bath in the Peacock Room (tickets are required for the sound bath)
Wed December 21st; 10am - 4pm
Thu December 22nd; 10am - 4pm
WEEK FIVE
Tue December 27th; 10am - 4pm
Wed December 28th 10am - 4pm
Thu December 29th; 10am - 4pm
Fri December 30th; Auction and Party - timing TBD
