Makers Space Profile #5: Digital Weaving Lab at Praxis Fiber Workshop

by admin

January 13, 2022

in Academic Institutions, Artists, Industry, Makers Spaces

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TEXTILES are everywhere: you can see, touch and feel them, you can also make them do things. But there’s a lot that goes into these textiles coming to life: from visualizing to materializing, thinking to rethinking, discovery to rediscovery, each step is crucial and ongoing until the result is achieved. And what’s also crucial is for the textile artist or the researcher to have access to a setting that’s conducive to innovation, where ideas can flow.

Through our “Makers Space Profile” series, we focus on such settings where artists, technologists, designers, and researchers are creating textiles. This time we are featuring Digital Weaving Lab at Praxis Fiber Workshop. We reached out to the Lab’s Director Cathryn Amidei to find out all about this fabulous space!

: Praxis Fiber Workshop

: Loom Room at Praxis

THE THOUGHT….

The Digital Weaving Lab at Praxis Fiber Workshop established in March 2021 is the latest addition to the vibrant and thriving fiber community in Cleveland, Ohio. The idea for Praxis came to fruition when the Cleveland Institute of Art announced that they would be downsizing the fiber department and merging it with the existing sculpture and video departments. We took the existing fiber equipment including 17 floor looms and assorted dyeing supplies and opened a non profit fiber art center. We offer classes and workshops teaching a wide variety of fiber techniques. In addition, Praxis offers studio space for local fiber artists and a gallery to promote the field of contemporary fiber art.

: Hope Wang

: Haumed Mohammed

“The mission of Praxis is to enhance the field of Fiber Art in the Cleveland area by giving local artists and community members access to fiber related equipment, classes and studio space. Praxis is dedicated to forwarding contemporary Fiber Art by integration and experimentation with other mediums and increasing awareness by creating an environment of education, exhibition and communication locally and within the broader art community.”

The Digital Weaving Lab Residency program creates access to a 3-Wide TC2 with 6 modules sett at 30 epi/12 epc. The loom is located in a separate building on the Praxis Fiber Workshop campus that includes a comfortable apartment. We also offer online workshops in digital weaving to a global community. Residents also have access to equipment and events in the main building.

: Jaya Griscom in the studio

: Sarah Wertzberger with her weaving

Primary to our mission are the goals to reduce the digital divide and address the scarcity mindset associated with the TC2 by providing support and offering many residencies in an accessible, well appointed facility. Residents meet with Cathryn on the first day and are in contact with her as well as an intern and the executive director as needed thereafter. Our residencies are 2 weeks long.

: TC2 at the Digital Weaving Lab

THE PEOPLE

Jessica Pinsky – Executive Director

Jessica grew up in Akron, Ohio and moved to Cleveland in 2011 after receiving a BFA in Studio Art from New York University in 2006 and an MFA in painting from Boston University in 2009. She began teaching at Cleveland Institute of Art in 2011 and is currently serving as faculty in the Sculpture and Expanded Media department. Together with Cleveland Institute of Art, Jessica founded Praxis Fiber Workshop in June, 2015.

Cathryn Amidei – Digital Weaving Director

Cathryn Amidei grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She has been engaged with Jacquard weaving for 15+ years. She earned a MFA from Eastern Michigan University. She was faculty there in the College of Technology until 2018, and now currently works full time in her art practice. She provides support to users of the TC2 loom in the U.S. and has taught numerous digital weaving workshops across the globe, in person, as well as online. She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

: Cathryn Amidei

: Jessica Pinskey

THE PROJECTS

The Digital Weaving Lab has hosted 15 residents since opening our doors in March 2020. What makes our program unique in the U.S is that we are an open residency program. Here is a sample of the work our residents have created: