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Collaborations between businesses – big and small – come in all sorts of forms these days. Take the recent mash-up between D’Youville University, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and Stitch Buffalo. Together, the three groups worked on a new commission art piece that seconds as a cozy and chill lounging station along the stadium seating within the Health Hub’s three-story atrium at D’Youville College. The project is called Woven Together.
The project embodies the desire of D’Youville University to draw closer to its neighboring community and acknowledges the rich traditions of Buffalo’s multicultural West Side.
“The project began with fabric that was handwoven in traditional patterns on back-strap looms by artisans from Stitch Buffalo. The vibrant colors evolved from a series of workshops held with high school students from the neighboring International Preparatory School at Grover. From this fabric, groups of pillows were sewn together by artists from the Refugee Women’s Workshop and completed with help from the Stitch Buffalo staff and a team of University at Buffalo volunteers.” – Stitch Buffalo
For Stitch Buffalo, large custom projects like this bring much needed economic empowerment and creative fulfillment to the artists of the Refugee Women’s Workshop.
Following is an interview with Dawn Hoag, founder and executive director of Stitch Buffalo.
How long did the project take?
It was a huge undertaking. After months-long delay, the weaving started this past October. The project itself began last January. It took a long time – we made many prototypes. Altogether it was a year in the making.
Who came up with the idea?
We worked with designers Julia Jamrozik and Coryn Kempster through the Albright-Knox, to add another colorful fixture to the Health Hub. Our weavers wove a bunch of samples (with different patterns) on the backstrap loom to present to the artists. Julia and Coryn worked with a number of high school students to come up with the color palettes, but they left it up to the weavers for the artistic expression found in the actual pillow patterns. It was a collaboration of me working with the weavers, then bringing it to the artists to show them what we could do. The artists were impressed and gave the weavers control of the patterns, which are traditional Burmese/Karen, most are from Myanmar. D’Youville was looking to tie in to the immigrant and refugee community, with their Health Hub.
Have you ever worked on a project of this nature?
Not this scale. There were so many components. We’ve done smaller scale commissioned works such as pins and ornaments. We were drawing on our weavers to do something that we have never done before. There were a lot of unknowns. The women who come to Stitch like working on our special projects because they receive payment immediately… everything else is on consignment. So everyone was ready to go! The project was delayed for a bit and was slow to start (it was beyond our control). We began to lose momentum, but once one weaver got to work it just took off. It was very exciting and intimidating working with the AK and the recognized artists. We thought, ‘Can we pull it off?’ But it all came together. We also had Burmese and Afghan seamstresess working on this particular project, for the construction of the pillows. It was a real team effort.
Does this open new doors for Stitch Buffalo?
I’m hoping so! We are working on developing a workforce development training project – research and design with The Factory Buffalo. We are hoping to work with then on orders between 250 to 500 quantity. Currently, they are sending their designer projects to companies in other states. We want to keep it local by collaborating with them.
Do you sell those types of pillows at your retail location on Niagara Street?
Yes, we’re just starting to make them, which will be available at the shop and on Etsy. We are also looking at other wholesale possibilities. We can also take special orders for pillows in various colorways.
How bout any other collaborations? Did you do one recently with BreadHive Bakery?
Yes. We helped to create waxed cloth bread bags for storing bread. It was another project that we sampled different types of fabric, to make the best bread bags by our seamstresses. BreadHive waxed them themselves in their electric deck oven. The bags were printed by Steamroller Press in Buffalo. We love these types of projects. You can get a bread bag on BreadHive’s website or stop by their café at 402 Connecticut Street.
Are there any other collaborations underway that you would like to share?
One that’s about to start is a weaving for wellness with Oishei Children’s Hospital, to develop hand skills to settle the mind. It’s all about promoting textile arts for mental health. Then there’s Moonbeam out of Rochester – making meditation cushions using the industrial sewing machines at The Factory Buffalo.
And you have some exhibitions currently?
At the Buffalo History Museum there is the Creative Journeys exhibit coming up in May – a celebration of WNY women textile artists (stay tuned). And then there’s the year-long Social Justice Stitched Stories at the Burchfield-Penney Art Center (through February 27, 2022).
It was a community effort with the refugee women, Buffalo State students, and citizens participating in workshops to create textile work pertaining to social justice issues that they cared about.
Be sure to connect with Stitch Buffalo on their upcoming community workshops and classes that include:
Learn more about Stitch Buffalo
Get connected: Stitch Buffalo | 1215 Niagara St, Buffalo, NY 14213 | (716) 495-9642
Newell Nussbaumer is 'queenseyes' - Eyes of the Queen City and Founder of Buffalo Rising. Co-founder Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts. Co-founder Powder Keg Festival that built the world's largest ice maze (Guinness Book of World Records). Instigator behind Emerald Beach at the Erie Basin Marina. Co-creator of Rusty Chain Beer. Instigator of Buffalo Porchfest, and Paint vs. Paint. Founder of The Peddler retro and vintage market on Elmwood. Instigator behind Liberty Hound @ Canalside. Throws The Witches Ball at Statler City, the Hertel Alley Street Art Festival, and The Flutterby Festival. Coming soon... 'fig' Fashion Show. Contact Newell Nussbaumer | Newell@BuffaloRising.com
As one of the region’s most read publications since its launch in 2004, Buffalo Rising’s diverse editorial team delivers a wide range of relevant content to our readers as it unfolds in real time. An independently owned and operated digital publication, Buffalo Rising provides editorial and critical reviews on all topics that relate to Buffalo, NY.
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