Introductory call with Intertwine Arts
Intertwine Arts is a teaching organization running 14 programs per week across 12 teaching artists, operating out of multiple locations including Linux Hill Senior Center. Intertwine Arts operates in a largely portable fashion, reaching four or five of the five boroughs without a fixed physical home. Their weekly workshops are program-dependent, shaped around participant interests, and they currently have an exhibit running until March 22nd.
On Monday, we met with Danaleah, who manages the teaching artists. The (or one of) looms currently used is a Saori CH60, which is no longer manufactured. The loom uses a 2-shaft, 2-heddle system, and the warping process (threading the vertical strings) is a significant hassle; ideally, you'd be able to slip components in and out more easily. Other pain points include oversized or finicky pedals she'd love to make bigger, a janky warp-winding mechanism, and screws that regularly fall off - making readily available replacement parts a real need. There's also interest in making the loom fold up more cleanly.
Because the Saori CH60 is discontinued, Intertwine is looking to develop their own loom. This is where 3D printing becomes relevant. There's already a landscape of accessible 3D-printed loom designs out there, including a fully automatic 8-shaft model capable of more complex fabrics, and an Arduino-driven electronic version. Some adaptive tools already exist - like a metal bar for swapping out the warp - but there's room for more small mechanical refinements.
The ideal end goal seems to be a floor loom of their own design, which ties back to the broader tool library concept. The organization also uses handheld cardboard looms alongside the larger equipment, though participants have shown some reluctance to engage with the floor looms.
Resources
The looms Intertwine Arts uses are:
- SAORI floor loom (we have multiple models, but mainly use the sx60)
- Cricket table loom (both 10 and 15 inch)
- Frame looms (we use a bunch of different models, this is just an example)
- DIY Cardboard and Paper Plate looms (I'll show you these during the orientation)
Some extra resources sent by Danaleah:
- We talked about the Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library as a potential additional collaborator:Â https://www.nypl.org/locations/heiskell
- A Weaving Terminology Sheet to help, and a video as well. You don't have to know all of this, I don't always know all the terms!
- Annual Report (to learn more about what Intertwine Arts does)
Principles of Saori Weaving
- Consider the differences between a machine and human being.
- Be bold and adventurous.
- Look out through eyes that shine.
- Inspire one another and everyone in the community. [ A possible interpretation would be a lot of art you can do by yourself. You’re meant to share what you weave with other people. ]