Material Memories

This quick, cohort-based project is meant to build community momentum leading up to the symposium on January 25th, and several outfits will be featured in a fashion show following the speakers around 12:30 on Saturday at 78th Street Studios.

 
 

Welcome to Material memories!

The theme for our symposium this year is Enlivening our Place through Textiles and Fiber. We'll be discussing and sharing all sorts of ways that textiles can breathe life into our place, but what about us breathing life back into old textiles? That's where this project comes in!

Last year, our symposium ended with a fashion show that featured soil-to-soil outfits made by hand from amazing One Year, One Outfit participants. This year's One Year, One Outfit participants are still working to create their outfits which will debut at next year's symposium (2026), and so we have an opportunity to share outfits created in this Material Memory project from different materials-- upcycled materials.

We're calling it a flash project because, compared to One Year, One Outfit, it's fast! Debut is on January 25th!

DETAILS:

  • All material needs to come from textiles currently in our Rust Belt Fibershed (within 250 miles of Cleveland). (i.e. making a jacket from old quilts sourced from a local garage sale is ok, but not old quilts purchased on Etsy from Oregon).

  • Materials do not have to have been originally made here (like with local wool) but have to have some memory here. For example, sari silk from India but worn here by your mother in Cleveland is a-ok.

  • Materials do not have to be natural fibers or dyes-- they can be any textile currently in our fibershed. The idea is that we are bringing these materials back to life.

  • There will be a fashion show featuring some of the participants’ work, but participants do not need to participate in the fashion show to participate in the project.

PARTICIPANTS

Alexandra Spitz- Columbus, OH

Alison Green-Cincinatti,OH

Alison McKim-Lakewood,OH

Anna Argentine-Pittsburgh, PA

Beth Lucius-Bay Village,OH

Bronze Ogunbambo-Cleveland OH

Camille Townson-Cook, IL. From Oakland Co. Michigan

Celia Ohnmeis-Lakewood

Debbie Christensen-Cleveland, OH

Erin Hensel-Pittsburgh Pa

Hanna Vera-Barnesville Ohio

Hannah Reed-Summit County, Ohio

Heather-Cleveland OH

Jenny Liu Zhang- Cuyahoga County, OH (Cleveland OH)

Joy Bridy-Cleveland heights

Megan Engelmann-Avon, Ohio - Lorain County

Nan Webb- Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Piper Kolasky-Akron, Ohio

Rebecca Harrison-Pittsburgh, Pa

Sam Milford-Pittsburgh

Sara Loftus-Huntington, WV

Sarah Silk-Pittsburgh

Sharon Klevay- Medina Ohio

 

FEATURE MATERIAL MEMORIES PARTICIPANT:

Artist: Alison McKim
Project: Plant Spirit Medicine Frock

There is priceless treasure in what our society throws in the garbage, for those who have eyes to see. With this project, I was able to rescue two kinds of treasures. 

A stack of vintage linens, intricately embroidered - the precious handwork of a woman who lived long ago, an echo of her life - were to be cast aside at a local estate sale. 

In the same way, the wild resilient plants of Ohio, generously offering beauty, medicine and friendship, are often cast aside and undervalued. I combined these two elements to create  wearable art infused with mindfulness and loving intention.

This project was completed during my  2024 Deep Ecology Artist Residency at United Plants Savers Botanical Sanctuary.

The vintage linens were imbued with the color and energetic essence of 13 healing plants that grow wild and free along the banks of the Ohio River.

This project combines love and respect for the earth, the plants, and the ancestors. The process included mindful foraging, Ayurvastra, vintage upcycling, and slow crafting.

Photos are from different steps of journey:

1. Sewing the dyed vintage linens onto a linen dress I found in a thrift store.

2. A basket I made of beautiful vines. I sat and enjoyed them one day, and the next day I found them weed whacked and thrown down the riverbank. It was sad and I wanted to honor them. These are Passiflora and Mulberry. I made this at the same time as I was making the garment.

3. Some plants and their colors.

4. Dye results - Wild rose/Sunshine/Oak

5. Infused fabric with labels