May 2024

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Greetings EVFAC Community, here’s MAY! —

>> April class highlights

>> Register now for Summer Fiber Art Camp for Youth!

>> Read about the Summer Camp instructors!

>> Early summer means Spin-Offs and shows around the state!

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April’s Classes

There were a lot of classes going on in April, including Rio Grande Weaving with Emily Trujillo (who teaches this class about once per month with us), and 2 days of fleece processing workshops which happen once or twice a year.

There was also one new and one not frequently offered class. Susan Moss came down from Colorado to teach The Creative Sketchbook. Using a wide variety of media a inspiration, students came up with some dynamic results. 

Master Navajo weaver, shepherd, and mentor Roy Kady taught his Navajo Horse Cinch Weaving class. We listened and laughed to family stories about sheep and horses, and looked at a lot of cute animal pictures. Roy’s love for his animals and for the craft of weaving is apparent in all he puts his energy towards. In addition to weaving, tending his flock and animal companions, spinning, natural dyeing, and teaching workshops, he has offered an apprenticeship program to young Navajo weavers for many years. You can read more about the program here. 

We ended class deliciously with a feast of blue corn frybread tacos with dough made by Roy. With all Roy does - from creating beautiful and playful weavings, to carrying the Navajo weaving and shepherding traditions forward for/with future generations - we’re lucky to have him on our board here at EVFAC!  

At the Center

>> Meet the Instructors!

Spinning & Knitting with Ruby Johnson

Ruby Johnson is a knitter, spinner, and Shepherd from the Pacific Northwest. They have been a knitter since they were eight, and have a passion for holistic fiber arts. Using the wool from their three Shetland sheep Ruby takes fiber through the entire process. From cleaning, prepping, and spinning; to knitting and wearing the garment. Ruby views spinning and knitting as a way to reconnect to yourself, and the earth. In a world where time is money they’re crafting is a place of peace. A place to slow down, let go of perfection, and simply create. In Ruby’s classes, students will learn the basics of knitting or spinning. Learning how to knit or spin when one is young is a skill that can carry throughout the rest of one's life. Ruby not only teaches knitting and spinning as skills but also as a practice in patience, focus, and mindfulness.

Natural Dyeing with Frances Cantor

Rebekah Frances Cantor is a bilingual (English/Spanish) educator specializing in place based education and the ecological arts. She holds a BA in Art History and a Masters in Education. She brings over 20 years of teaching experience serving pre-schoolers to adults.  She is passionate about facilitating creative connections between her students, the arts, and the natural world. She listens deeply and incorporates a variety of teaching  modalities  to engage with and meet  students' needs.  Her work is inspired by traditional ecological knowledge and she is committed to engaging in respectful regenerative relationships. Frances also works as our Youth Education Coordinator here at EVFAC.

Weaving with Dain and Amanda

Amanda and Dain dye all of their woven work, focusing primarily on Ikat dyeing and weaving. Dain and Amanda are avid full time professional weavers who learned to weave one sunny February at EVFAC in 2013. They live and work in their off-grid handmade home in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Currently Dain is our Board President and Amanda is our Media and Education Coordinator here at EVFAC. 

The Warp Zone

Screenprinting with Gel

Gel is an interdisciplinary artist and writer engaged in performance, installation, printmaking, graphic design and the esoteric arts. They have experience working as a teaching artist through Creative Growth Art Center as well as the El Rito Elementary Art Program.

Around Town

ONGOING EXHIBITIONS:

Through May 30th 2024 - Art of Timeless Beauty, the Navajo Child's Blanket. Fechin House. Taos, NM

July 16th 2023 - June 2, 2024 - Horizons: Weaving Between the Lines with Diné Textiles. Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Santa Fe, NM.