webinar register page

Topic

Natural Dyes & the Natural Dye Garden, presented by Surface Design Association

Description

Why use natural dyes? The winter months are a perfect time to plan next year’s natural dye garden. Please join our guests Catharine Ellis, Kim Eichler Messmer, and Kenya Miles and Rosa Chang of the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative, as we discuss natural dyes and the natural dye garden, from individual practice to that of an urban community-based garden in Baltimore.

Renowned as a researcher and author, Catharine Ellis will talk about the natural dye plants she has chosen to grow in her garden, why she grows them, and how those plant dyes have inspired her most recent body of woven textile explorations.

Kim Eichler-Messmer is a quilt artist who has been hand-dyeing fabric for nearly 20 years. In 2015 she made the decision to switch from using synthetic dyes to natural dyes and began a journey of learning and discovery, guided by experts in the field such as Catharine Ellis and Michel Garcia. Kim will share her work, how the learning process influences her, and discuss how her work has evolved since making the switch to natural dyes.

Rosa Chang and Kenya Miles will explore the past, present, and future of growing natural dyes in an urban landscape, utilizing cooperative economics, and supporting agricultural and sustainable practices through the lens of the Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative and Blue Light Junction. The Baltimore Natural Dye Initiative is an 18-month multi-agency pilot project focused on creating the area’s first natural dye farm and processing site to support urban farming, economic opportunities, community redevelopment, international relations, and the arts in Baltimore City. Beyond the pilot project, Blue Light Junction is an alternative color lab, natural dye garden & educational facility focusing on growing, processing, and preserving the history of natural dyes and their enhancements and use in everyday objects.

Time

Jan 20, 2021 02:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Webinar is over, you cannot register now. If you have any questions, please contact Webinar host: SAQA Zoom.

All fields are required

Your Information
Send to
Message preview	Hi there, You are invited to a Zoom webinar. When: Jan 20, 2021 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Topic: Natural Dyes & the Natural Dye Garden, presented by Surface Design Association Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_N14n_gh2SGqH1Xbwll_OvA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. ---------- Webinar Speakers Kim Eichler-Messmer Kim Eichler-Messmer is an Associate Professor of Fiber at the Kansas City Art Institute, where she has taught surface design, quilting, and natural dye since 2008. Kim received an MFA in Textiles from the University of Kansas and a BFA in Studio Art from Iowa State University. Her hand-dyed, one of a kind quilts have been exhibited nationally and internationally. She has collaborated with West Elm and Pottery Barn and has designed two commercial fabric lines inspired by her own hand-dyed textiles. She is the author of Modern Color: An Illustrated Guide to Dyeing Fabric for Modern Quilts and teaches workshops on quilting and natural dyeing regularly around the country. Catharine Ellis For nearly 50 years Catharine has been creating woven and dyed textiles. In the mid-1970’s she moved from the Boston area to Western North Carolina, where she headed the Professional Crafts Fiber Program at Haywood Community College for 30 years. After retiring from full time teaching in 2008, Catharine immersed herself in the exploration of natural dyes She traveled extensively to study with master dyers all over the world, in locations including China, India, Japan, France, Madagascar, and Mexico. She now uses natural dyes exclusively in her textiles, grows a selection of plants in her garden, and has written extensively about the process. She has authored three books including Woven Shibori (Interweave Press, 2005) and a second edition which focuses on natural dye (Interweave Press, 2015). The Art and Science of Natural Dyes (Schiffer Press, 2019) was written with co-author Joy Boutrup, a textile chemist and engineer who lives and works in Denmark. Kenya Miles & Rosa Chang Rosa Chang is a Korean-born visual artist & senior advisor for the Natural Dye Initiative at the Maryland State Arts Council. Rosa worked as an apprentice dyer at Buaisou Brooklyn, a Japanese indigo dye artisanal studio with a main studio and farm located in Tokushima, and has experience in growing Japanese indigo plants. This work led her to submit a proposal for Urban farming Japanese indigo plants on abandoned lots in Baltimore City for the Community Development & Revitalization, which was nominated as a semi-finalist for the Fullbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellowship. Kenya Miles is the artist & alchemist behind Traveling Miles Studio and Blue Light Junction, an alternative color lab, natural dye garden and educational facility. Kenya’s work honors ancient practices while drawing on a distinctive contemporary voice. From the valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico to the red clay roads of Ntonso, Ghana, Kenya's process is a ledger of years of apprenticing around the globe.

Time Zone:

webinar register page

Share via Email

Switch Time Zone

Upcoming Meetings