Weave The Trees ~ 35th Anniversary Exhibition at JAC
Weave The Trees
Flying
Shuttles Studio 35th Anniversary Exhibition
at
Jamestown Arts
Center
18 Valley St.,
Jamestown, RI 02835
Opening
Reception:
Thursday, January 10th
6 pm - 8 pm
Exhibition
Dates: January 10 - February 22
Gallery Hours:
Wed. - Sat., 10 am - 2 pm
Closed: January
21st for MLK Day & February 18th for Presidents’ Day
In 1984, with the help of a VSA Arts grant through
Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, The Arc of Blackstone Valley opened
Flying Shuttles Studio. Flying Shuttles was established as a vocational program
for 10 weavers with developmental and intellectual disabilities. The original
concept was that they would learn all aspects of the trade and then move on to
meaningful employment in the local textile mills. They would also focus on developing
their own product line of “rag-style” rugs to sell directly to the public. Over
the years, the weavers decided they wanted to explore new mediums: embroidery,
drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, and sculpture.
35 years later, Flying Shuttles supports the creative
endeavors of 20 artists and has become as much of an art studio as a weaving
studio. Each artist works hard to develop their own style and how to promote
their work professionally.
Flying Shuttles artists
show their work regularly throughout Rhode Island and in 2017 were awarded
‘Best Affordable Art’ by Rhode Island Monthly. They have also exhibited
regionally, nationally and internationally at such venues as Davenport College
Gallery, Sumner McKnight Crosby Jr. Gallery, Umbrella Arts Gallery, the New
York Outsider Art Fair, Chicago’s SOFA, and the Museum of Everything, London.
