Natural Dyeing among Fiber Arts roster at Slater Mill???s Trad Arts Studio this fall
(Pawtucket, RI)??This September, Trad Arts Studio welcomes knitwear designer Emily O???Neil to its faculty. O???Neil will teach a traditional Knitting class, as well as a Natural Dyeing class that uses dye plants grown in the historic garden on the Slater Mill campus.?? She joins Suzi Ballenger and Steve Emma, veterans of the studio who teach Handweaving and Chair Caning respectively, rounding out the fall 2016 fiber arts sessions.
Trad Arts Studio at Slater Mill is an initiative in the fiber and maker arts that provides opportunities for the public to participate in classes that teach traditional skills. Fittingly, the classes take place in the 1793 Old Slater Mill — the textile mill-turned-museum widely recognized as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. ??
???This past spring, our weaving and chair caning classes booked up fast. We are excited to offer two additional classes to provide more people with the opportunity to learn creative skills that are both practical and historical,??? remarks Erika Davis, Events and Programs Manager at Slater Mill. ???By offering classes in traditionally-based arts, we hope to introduce an element of cultural heritage into today???s maker community.???
Steve-Emma
The studio???s two longest-running classes are Chair Caning and Handweaving. Caning is taught by master traditional artist Steve Emma. The class is offered in two six-week sessions during which the students learn by repairing their own chairs.
Suzi-Ballenger
Handweaving is a 10-week class instructed by Suzi Ballenger, a production weaver and exhibiting textile artist. With 25 years of experience and a maximum class size of eight, Ballenger is able to teach multiple students of varying skill levels, proving the individualized attention necessary to advance skill and technique. Her class covers project planning, dressing the loom, reading a draft, rhythm, finishing, and more.
Emily-ONeil??
New offerings Knitting (10 weeks) and Natural Dyeing (3 weeks) will be taught by Emily O???Neil, an artist, textile designer, and educator who received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textiles from RI School of Design.?? A passionate knitter and natural dyer, O???Neil harvests flowers from her own natural dye garden.?? For Trad Arts Studio, O???Neil will harvest plants from Slater Mill???s historic garden aside the 1758 Sylvanus Brown House, a project site of the URI Master Gardeners. Students will also learn how to identify and forage their own local dye plants.
For the Knitting class, O???Neil will guide students through a knitting project from cast on to cast off, teaching proper technique and problem solving as they go. Both Knitting and Natural Dyeing are suitable for students from beginner through intermediate.
Trad Arts Studio classes are held on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 PM in the Jencks Education Center on the second floor of Old Slater Mill.?? Chair Caning begins on September 21, Handweaving and Natural Dyeing on September 27, and Knitting on September 28.
??For registration information, email edavis@slatermill.org, or call (401)725-8638 x.106.