Remembering the rich history of weaving in the Allegheny-Clarion River valley, colorful threads and patterns in a creative variety of fiber art structures, materials and techniques will showcase the work of twelve artists from the Weaving Studio of the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media (PCA&M) in a Red Brick Gallery exhibit from October 4 to November 10.
Continuing the tradition of the internationally known local weaver, teacher and author, Sigrid Piroch and her “Allegheny River Textile Studio” in Emlenton, RBG cooperative artist Karin Arnds has assembled an exhibit of beautifully diverse textiles created by artists working together in the PCA&M Weaving Studio: Karin Arnds, Traycee Bosle, Louise Cannon, Nancy Hagen-Liddle, Rebecca Hebert, Cathleen Malmstrom, Deb Meteney, Patty Murphy, Yoko Sekikawa, Margaret Taylor, Diane Wakefield, and Leslie Weinbaum.
Their studio at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media is home to both experienced and novice weavers, where they share their love of fiber and their creativity. From household goods to garments, from twill and overshot to Swedish weaving, explore different fiber art structures, materials, and techniques with the PCA&M Weavers.
The exhibit in the RBG’s Upstairs Gallery will run six weekends from Friday, October 4 through Sunday, November 10 with new Autumn 2024 Gallery hours: Fridays, 1-6 PM; Saturdays, 10 AM to 6 PM; and Sundays, 12 noon to 5 PM. The RBG is located at 17 Main Street, Foxburg, PA 16036.
“Meet the Weavers” at the exhibit’s wine & cheese reception on Sunday, November 10, from 4 to 6 PM in the RBG Upstairs Gallery. There is no admission for the opening reception - which follows the 2 PM concert “From ROCK to BACH” by the popular crossover group TAKE3 Trio, with its world class artistry in genre-smashing, virtuosic-crossover repertoire. Tickets are Adults $25, Members $20 and Students $5. This concert will sell out. To reserve, call 724-659-3153 to pay by cash or check at the door or buy online: www.alleghenyriverstone.org
Origins of the PCA&M Weaving Studio
The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media (PCA&M) is a nonprofit art campus that offers art education and opportunities for local artists in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The organization was founded in 1945 as the “Pittsburgh Arts and Craft Center” with the mission to provide a venue for the community to experience, learn and create visual arts. In addition to education, the PCA&M has sought to promote regional art such as the “Artist of the Year” exhibition with the first show held in 1945 and continuing to the present. Pop artist Keith Haring had his first exhibition there in 1978.
At its inception, the Center was comprised of ten artist groups including the Weaver’s Guild of Pittsburgh with the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh joining as a member-guild later. From the Center’s very beginnings, weaving and the fiber arts have been an important contributor to the organization’s mission. The PCA&M Weaving Studio has been an integral part of the Center for more than 50 years. It is located at the corner of Fifth and Shady Avenues in Pittsburgh, occupying the third floor of the Marshall Building. The Center offers a variety of weaving classes for adults currently including - Beginning Weaving, Weaving/Open Studio for beginning to advanced students, plus Traditional Tapestry Weaving, 3D Tapestry Weaving, Rigid Heddle Weaving, Inkle Weaving and Basket Weaving. The studio is presently home for 30 floor looms which includes a 60-inch wide counterbalance loom that is ideal for weaving rugs.
In the mid-seventies the PCA&M weaving studio housed one of Anni Albers’ weaving looms! Anni had led the weaving studio as an artist and designer at Germany’s celebrated Bauhaus before escaping Adolf Hitler in his quest to rid the country of free-thinking artists. She and her equally well-known husband Josef Albers fled from Germany and came to the United States, continuing their work as artists and teachers at the Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina.
When arriving at the PCA&M studio, Annie’s loom needed repairs and was eventually passed on to a local weaver, Sigrid Piroch who had the loom restored. She maintained it for many years and finally donated it to the Albers’ Foundation.
It is interesting to know that Sigrid, who was an internationally known weaving teacher and author, lived here in Foxburg in the nineties and years later established a working weaving studio, “Allegheny River Textile Studio” in nearby Emlenton, Pennsylvania. Sigrid also founded the North West Weavers and Spinner’s Guild. Many are missing her, including the weaving community, since she recently passed away in May of this year, 2024. Another connection to the town of Foxburg is weaver Blanche Hall, a former cooperative artist at the Red Brick Gallery who was a working weaver at Sigrid’s Emlenton studio.
If you’re interested in taking weaving classes or many of the other classes offered at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and Media, visit pghartsmedia.org to view full class descriptions and register online or contact Deb Meteney at meteneyd@verizon.net.
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