Special workshop (for current students)
“SAORI mittens” lead by Pam Rossetti on Feb. 23rd (Sat.) 4-6pm. Fee; 1 class fee or $20. What to bring; SAORI (felted) material, fleece or wool fabric, sewing machine, sewing thread
PLEASE RSVP.
Weaving programs in public school
Goddard Elementary School and SouthHigh School, Worcester, MA have SAORI Weaving program using 2 harness table looms. The table looms were found at various places in public schools in Worcester and collected. We trained teachers and have been supporting especially setting up warp and trouble shoots on those looms.
SAORI Worcester Partnership Site Program
This is a program for institutions to have SAORI Weaving as a part of the activities on their sites. You can see from here which institutions have this program.
Japan Tour
SAORI Canada-US Association (SCUA)
Sheep to shawl, Llama to Pajama
This is an event we have organized 4 times in the past with collaboration with city of Worcester & alpaca farm at GreenHill Farm, Green Hill Park in Worcester. It’s meaningful to do such an event in the middle of a city. Children and families had learned from sheep shearing, carding, spinning, knitting, felting, rug hooking, dyeing and weaving.
000Fieldship Banner
This is a project as a member of 000 Global Vision in the cooperation with 000 Plenam Planet to create a woven banner with yarn from all over the world. We have started collecting yarn especially which were hand spun and dyed by indigenous people and yarn from regions that we personally connected with. The aim for making this banner is praying to unite all of us as one for harmonized, balanced peaceful world. It’s a celebration of sun and moon and stars! It’s a celebration of life! We are trying to include many plants and animal fiber from many ethnic cultural sources as possible. If you would like to help this project, please contact Mihoko. (note: 000 Global Vision and 000 Plenam Planet are organizations based in Japan. )
Internship
We have been accepting and training unpaid interns for 3 months-6months period at a time for several years. We had Alana Shield who had spent more than half year working at the studio. She has just left to Maui, HI to help SAORI program at Lokelani ‘Ohana for another six months in 2013. Here is her testimonial about her experience.
I began my internship at SAORI Worcester in the end of May, after finishing a semester at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. After spending an intense year studying conceptual art, I found myself immediately drawn to the calming nature of SAORI Weaving. Since that first day I sat down in front of a loom, I still find myself enchanted by the beautiful simplicity of SAORI. My internship with Mihoko, a kind, passionate, and talented artist, provided me with a crucial experience that i was unable to find while attending art school. Her guidance and patience has taught me if you trust your intuition, and cherish the time you spend creating, you will produce art that reflects the inner beauty every person possesses. SAORI weaving is a reminder that art is not something you learn, it is the ability to create once you are able to let go and work freely. The community of SAORI is another aspect of this art form that is just as important as the weaving itself. Throughout my internship, I have become a part of this community, in which people of all ages and abilities are constantly encouraging and inspiring one another while sharing their art on a weekly basis. Now at the end of my 8 month internship at SAORI Worcester, I will continue my exploration of SAORI while volunteering at Dana Allen’s studio in Maui, Hawaii. I am so grateful for the time I have spent with Mihoko and everyone I have met along the way. I will never forget the relationships I have developed, or the personal transformation I have made as both an artist and a person.
We have got a new intern now who has new energy spreading out in classes.