INTERLACE
To celebrate Portland Textile Month, GMS launched the INTERLACE Community Weaving Project as a creative collaboration between the Gather:Make:Shelter Academy, C(3)PO villages, and the greater Portland community.
Weaving community together
In coordination with Portland Textile Month (PTM), Gather:Make:Shelter began hosting weaving workshops within three C(3)PO shelter-in-place villages to teach residents how to weave and provide a place to relax and come together. Residents of C(3)PO and members of the Gather:Make:Shelter Academy wove on handmade hand looms with a variety of found and donated materials to create personal expressions inspired by “the community we wish for.” The artists were compensated for their contributions to the project.
Meanwhile, the public was invited to join in by weaving 5” squares. First time weavers and weaving masters, professional artists and “I’m not good at art” people, Oregon residents and friends from afar; everyone was welcome and encouraged to participate!
All of the weavings would then be joined together to form one large community tapestry, connecting the work and wishes of all participants to each other. Weavings in progress were exhibited at the PTM Distributed Community Projects Exhibition, and GMS Director Dana Lynn Louis and Project Coordinator Dakotah Fitzhugh contributed to the PTM Community Collaboration Discussion Panel.
