Arts Street Textile Studio: handmade with the homeless
Arts Street Textile Studio: handmade with the homeless (ASTS) works with the homeless and those transitioning from homelessness in Philadelphia to weave, knit, sew, crochet and quilt wearable and useable art. We believe that art is a social service, and promote visible dignity through the work of our hands.
ASTS grew out of the collaboration between the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and the city’s Porch Light Initiative that produced the unique public mural, Finding Home, Finding Hope, the first mural to include hand-woven textiles. Installed in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, the Finding Home mural raises the awareness and visibility of homelessness. The informal textile studios in homeless shelters coalesced into a regular studio in a major overflow shelter, and survived completion of the mural in June 2010. The studio continued indoors as a demonstration project in the city’s main library, and then moved to the street, alongside a weekly food distribution line, until it achieving a storefront/gallery space through the Arts on South program.
With its highly visible storefront location, Arts Street Textile Studio: handmade with the homeless now offers a community-based open fiber arts studio for all artists – homeless, with homes and in transition. Any and all individuals interested in participating in the activities of the studio are welcome, for a nominal $1/day contribution. Proceeds from the sale of hand-made items produced in the studio are shared equally by artists and studio. We also offer a wide variety of affordable classes to the general public in weaving, knitting, crochet, embroidery, sewing and quilting, such as Intro to Tapestry Weaving, Parent/Child Weaving, Intro to Crochet, Knitting in the Round, and Intro to Quilting.
Arts Street Textiles Studio
626 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 3-8 p.m.
To contact us:
Kathryn Pannepacker: kpannepacker@gmail.com
Leslie Sudock: lsudock@gmail.com
For general information: artstreetext@gmail.com
On Facebook: “Arts Street Textile Studio”
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