I've often wondered if other people find a calming inner peace by undertaking activities of a repetitive nature?
I'm all about cutting grass in the summer and shovelling snow in the winter. And as a more intimate disclosure, I actually enjoy ironing and folding laundry. There is something about the process of turning a pile of wrinkled cotton into a closet of pressed shirts hanging in an orderly fashion that somehow makes my world seem calm for a brief moment in time.
Well, there is a special room at Studio 2880 where this cathartic experience happens every day. Albeit, with a lot more creativity and artistic prowess than my Sunday morning therapy sessions with a hot iron.
I'm referring to the P.G. Fibre Arts Guild studio, where a dedicated group of artisans are always busy practicing their near-magical art of turning fibres into beautiful textiles.
Spinning and weaving clearly has a captivated set of devotees, as the centuries-old practice offers people a zone of peace in a world filled with stress.
I've even heard that spinning is so relaxing, that it is not unlike a form of meditation.
I spoke recently with two of our celebrated local spinners, Birthe Miller and Laura Fry. I sat down with them while they were working on the guild's plans to hold a major fibre arts conference here in Prince George in 2019, drawing spinners and weavers from across Western Canada and the U.S.
The P.G. Fibre Arts Guild started off as the P.G. Spinners and Weavers in 1974 and has been a signature tenant at Studio 2880 since its opening. The name change was to help the organization become more inclusive of all the fibre arts.
I asked Birthe and Laura what the
appeal was for folks trying out this art form and I learned that a lot of people want to spend time with fibre, or were perhaps introduced to spinning as a child, and now that they are adults they want to see if it is as interesting as they thought it was.
Some people are drawn to the versatility of colours through the use of dyes.
But Laura shared a more profound theory with me, which is that, as a species, our DNA has been engineered so that we are compelled to create textiles. It's easy to imagine that during our earliest periods, those who were able to fabricate clothes, or make string for snares or carrying bundles, had a higher survival rate, created social hierarchies, and then rose to the top of the tribe.
Skip ahead millennia to the industrial revolution, when the mechanized production of textiles helped to change the world and create the civilization in which we now live.
The truth is that the evolution of modern mankind can quite accurately be documented by examining the history of textiles.
It really seems like a lot of people are coming back to the soft technologies lately. Especially those of the millennial generation who were quite literally raised on computers and socially groomed by the Internet.
Every night at Studio 2880 we see folks of all ages coming in to discover pottery wheels, paints and canvas, and the spinning wheels and weaving looms of the fibre artists.
It is almost as if the opportunity to
create something without the use of digital technologies has become a neat new trend, unlike 10 to 20 years ago, when the use of computers to assist with the creative process was getting all the hype. It is not uncommon to visit any school these days and see students of all genders knitting and crocheting, as a means of relaxing and interacting, without all the social pressures that are now permanently associated with sitting in front of a computer.
Our local guild runs a variety of programs, including drop-ins three times per week on Tuesday (6-9 p.m.), Thursday (6-8 p.m.) and Saturday (10 a.m. - 1 p.m.).
The first drop-in is free, and the next is $5. Access to the guild's wonderful space is free for members, with an annual membership costing $50, and providing preferential registration for events, and lower rental rates for equipment.
The guild also has regular movie
nights that provide information on the history, practice and application of the fibre arts.
For those folks already experienced in the art, you may be interested in knowing that the guild is partnering with Olds College to run a master weaver and spinner program here in Prince George in May.
The Fibre Arts Guild folks are definitely a relaxed group of creatives and if you are interested in getting into this very chill scene, stop by their studio on the second floor of Studio 2880, or check them out on Facebook.com/PGFibreArts, or email [email protected] for more information.
