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. The visit was roughly two hours long.

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.