Here we go:
Artist Ruben Marroquin of @weavinghand creates fabric on a loom in the "Interwoven Globe" exhibition. #metfiesta pic.twitter.com/K3Gjb6WXxI
— metmuseum (@metmuseum) October 5, 2013I want to be perfectly clear: I do consider weaving a craft. Crafts are generally considered on a different level than 'art' in all its forms. However, I believe the craft of weaving is very meditative, personal, and even mathematical. For example, I had campers create, measure, and mark their own cardboard looms. They had to decide what size the finished piece would be and what it would house or hold. Many of the older campers wanted to make phone or MP3 cases. Younger students made purses and wallets and gifts.
In all of my art education classes the context of art and art production is stressed in teaching. The problem with that is the fear of superficial and surface level explorations of media. Or worse, stereotypical. Usually teachers refer to Native American crafts when talking about weaving.. but what about the intricate Indian tapestries? What about Central American blankets and sarapes? The use of the work when it is finished should be a part of the learning experience. What is weaving for? Why is it important? How has it impacted our history in the United States? There are so many questions to engage students and get them thinking about weaving!
I plan on teaching weaving in my own art classroom. Regardless of the craft stigma attached to weaving, students learn a great deal about many disciplines. We could talk about how wool yarn is processed and made, using rulers to create notches for the warp threads, the historical and traditional uses of weaving, and the symbolism of color in weavings from different cultures. With older students I would have size requirements and demonstrations. Students would have to create their own looms and learn to set the warp threads as well as choose significant colors. The final product would be a container for an important person in their life. Students would need to explain their choices (colors, buttons, and all) in writing and present work for critique.
With younger students I would approach weaving in more interactive ways. I found a great blog post about a teacher who has her students 'weave through each other'. Students learn about warp and weft by becoming them! Students stand to represent the warp threads and then their classmates walk in a s pattern through the warp threads, just like under-over in weaving! Such a great activity and it gets the kids up and moving :) I would have students do that activity, weave paper first and then move them up to creating weavings on pre-cut looms (by yours truly) or maybe even have the kids make their own! It would all depend on time.. just like everything else in a classroom, right?
Weaving is a great learning tool for students of all ages. The action of weaving is calming and meditative and promotes concentration. Students need to have a basic knowledge of measuring and the act of warping looms improves fine motor functions. Also, this is a craft that students can teach to each other! I noticed at camp that many of the kids were helping each other with different problems and working together to create more intricate and interesting weavings. Students learned that by threading beads onto their weft threads they could create textures and designs! I think it would be really fun (and I am planning on this with my little scampers) to do some outdoor weaving using items found naturally in the environment. Students would have to create a loom with tree branches, warp the loom, and then fill it with plants and found objects...
Just something to think about, I suppose. Ms. K is going to weave like crazy in the future!
Until next time,
Ms. K
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