By Tim Reaves
BCS Communications Department
Sixth grade Blackhawks have been spinning up a creative storm in Ms. Dietra Garden’s art class at North Windy Ridge Intermediate School.
Over the last two weeks, they’ve been learning about symmetry, complex weaving techniques, and heritage by using radial looms to create circular textile shapes. Though students already learn basic over-under weaves with rectangular frames, the radial frames help them to practice more advanced styles like the dovetail, soumak, and Egyptian weaves. Along the way they learn about the lives of Bolivian women who weave textiles to become more financially secure.
“In my class, I want students to understand the different values that art can have in different cultures,” Ms. Garden said. “They’ll learn advanced artistic techniques beyond the traditional ones they’re used to seeing. Art also helps them connect with their own family in regards to heritage, traditions, and values.”
The sixth graders started by setting up the looms. They ran a scaffold of yarn through holes in a circular frame – a process called “warping.” Then they started weaving their fibers from the center outward, increasing the complexity of their weaves as they continued. Ms. Garden asked the class to bring and incorporate “heritage fibers” into their designs. These pieces of fabric – from ribbons to old socks to bits of string from home – gave each student’s radial weave a bit of personal charm and character.
“It makes it more fun and personal for them,” Ms. Garden said. “They’ve really been enjoying it.”
Jacob Greene’s family raises alpacas and produces alpaca fiber. He brought a piece of the South American animal’s fiber to use in his weave.
“It’s really warm and soft,” he said. “We shear the fiber off the animal and clean it and send it to a co-op that makes socks and other products. It’s really cool to work on the next step myself.”
Ms. Garden purchased the radial loom supplies with a Buncombe County Schools Foundation grant, which also covered expenses for a clay pendant art project for fifth graders.