“Filaments” a Weaver’s Guild of Oregon Traveling Exhibition.

Crossroads Carnegie Art Center in partnership with Threadbender’s Weaving Guild of Eastern Oregon welcome for a two-month showing “Filaments” a Weaver’s Guild of Oregon Traveling Exhibition. “Filaments” will open on First Friday June 2, 2023, at 5:30 PM with an Artist Talk by Lisa Bushman of the Threadbender’s Weaving Guild. Crossroads will have a second First Friday opening for this show on July 7, 2023, and the show closes on Friday July 21, 2023. The “Filaments” Show is sponsored by Threadbender’s Weaving Guild of Eastern Oregon “Threadbenders Weaving Guild is proud to help sponsor this rare grouping of amazing weavings to educate the community in Eastern Oregon and inspire more people to seek out and learn the lost art of weaving. “ Lisa Bushman, Threadbender’s. The exhibit has been juried by Associate Professor Emerita in the Department of Art, University of Oregon, and internationally renowned fiber artist, Barbara Setsu Pickett. The Best of Show winner for this show is Baker City’s own Cynthia Newman with her textile piece “Five Stories Up.” The “Filaments” traveling show features juried fiber arts entries, representing the work of more than 700 members of WeGo, a nonprofit statewide organization of weaving, spinning and related fiber craft guilds. WeGo, formed in 1982, sponsors this traveling exhibit every three to five years.

Throughout the 2 months of the show members of Threadbender’s Weavers Guild will be hosting free
demonstrations at Crossroads of Weaving and Spinning. Weaving demonstrations will be either on a Rigid Heddle, Inkle or table looms and will be hosted by different guild members from Baker, Union, and Wallowa County.
Demonstrations Schedule:
First Friday June 2 nd 5:30 to 8:00 Pm (weaving and spinning)
June 16th 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (weaving and spinning)
June 23rd 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Spinning Only)
First Friday July 7th 5:30 to 8:00 PM (weaving and spinning)
July 21st 10:00 AM to 12:00 Felted Soap Class for Kids (pre-registration required)

Felted soap will be created by using sheep wool from a rainbow of fleece along with a plain bar of soap to create a piece of functional art. Ages: 5+ (Children 5-8 must be accompanied by an adult). Youth are asked to wear summer clothes that can get wet or even a little messy. Bring a small towel to dry your hands. Threadbenders can host only 15 students so pre-registration for the class is required at www.crossroads-arts.org and the event is free.

“Crossroads is so excited to welcome back the Weaving Guild of Oregon Traveling show and our longstanding partnership with Threadbenders. The guild goes out of their way to provide wonderful demonstrations for free for all ages. Threadbenders will be bringing a presentation about Flax which is being grown in Eastern Oregon. Members of the guild will also be bringing their handmade items to be sold at the show. Truly a regional effort and a not to be missed show!” Ginger Savage, Executive Director Crossroads.
“Filaments,” debuted in Roseburg at Umpqua Valley Arts in January 2023 and travels around the state of Oregon through January of 2024. Subsequent venues will be at Lincoln City Cultural Center, Lincoln City; Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, Baker City; the Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene; Central Oregon Community College, Barber Library, Bend; and concludes at the Willamette Heritage Center, Salem at the end of January 2024. Oregon is home to a lively community of spinners and weavers.

Spinning is the art of gathering fiber together to form yarn, which is then used by weavers to create textiles from clothing to household decorations. Once regarded as a major occupation, weaving now exists as more of a hobby and avocation for those who have time, talent, and resources and a love of fiber, color, and design. Fibers can come from plants (cotton, flax, and hemp), animals (silkworms, sheep, goats, and alpacas) and man-made synthetics (polyester and nylon). Local guilds draw on resources from history of fiber and technique to traditional and contemporary design, and traditional and modern tools and materials. “The items displayed in the WeGo Filaments show are extraordinary examples of the lost art of weaving.

Each artist gave hours of their life to plan, prepare and weave each piece of cloth exhibited.  They used their hands in ways that have not been done in generations.  They used their minds to visualize their final product as well as quieting their minds for personal contemplation.  From thousands and thousands of individual pieces of fiber, they created a solid piece of material.  The satisfaction that they gained from this process of producing a unique piece of art will live with them and give them much needed emotional health and purpose.” Lisa Bushman, Threadbenders.