Weaving in Beauty

Jennie Slick assists Kathleen Higham with her weaving at last year's Bear Lake Boot Camp

Tempe, AZ Update: The workshop is full as of March 9, but please contact Mary Walker or Deby Pendleton if you would like to be on our waiting list.

I’m happy to announce that plans have been finalized for the fifth Navajo Weaving Boot Camp workshop at Bear Lake on the Utah-Idaho border.   We’ll be weaving at the Utah State University Training Facility starting on Sunday afternoon, June 13th and we’ll keep weaving as much as humanly possible until about noon on Wednesday, June 16th.  The workshop is open to students of any skill level.   Students will be provided with plans for building a loom or you can purchase one from the workshop organizers.   Use of tools is included in the workshop tuition and tools and yarns will be available for purchase.

Tuition for the three day workshop is $350 and includes dormitory style sleeping accommodations, three delicious meals per day featuring large quantities of raspberry based foods, enough yarn to complete your project, use of weaving tools and the instructional support of master weaver Jennie Slick and her assistant Mary Walker (me).  The workshop site is on the shore of Bear Lake, a gorgeously blue natural lake on the border of Utah and Idaho (please see unretouched photo below).    The workshop is limited to 12 students.

Student looms at the 2009 Bear Lake Navajo Weaving Boot Camp.

See you at the lake!

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker

Screenshot of the virtual classroom.

Tempe, AZ We held our first online class session in beginning Navajo weaving techniques  yesterday using WebEx’s Meeting Connection service (that’ll teach them to sell me something with unlimited minutes).   You can see the virtual class space in the picture above but it’s a screen shot of a test meeting to protect the privacy of the current students.  We found that the resolution of streaming video isn’t quite at a level that will let you see some of the finer moves that are involved in warping, but in combination with pictures, handouts and encouragement from others in the class,  we were able to create what seems to be a workable learning environment.   We’re troubleshooting an audio problem (a wicked echo) that seems to be related to speakerphones and possibly to the fact that there’s a microphone in my webcam (Who knew?  Certainly not me!)   WebEx has been great about addressing issues as we’ve brought them up and our next session is scheduled for this coming Sunday, February 7.  If you’ve written me about getting involved with a second session, I’ve got your note and I’ll be announcing dates as soon as I’m comfortable that this is a viable learning environment.  I’m almost, but not quite, there.

As one of the class members has noted, this may open up many opportunities for Navajo weavers to show their work and teach over the Internet.  And to find out about the microphone in their webcam…..

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary

Lynda Teller Pete demonstrates weaving at last year's Southwest Indian Art Fair

Tucson, AZ Just a quick post to let you know that the Desert Diamond Casino, owned by the Tohono O’odham tribe, has stepped in to reschedule and sponsor the previously cancelled Southwest Indian Art Fair.   Information on the event and artist applications are available by clicking here.  Thanks to Mary Weinzirl for letting me know!

Hagoshíí (so long for now)

Mary Walker