The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce a new environmental art project in MacLean Park Fieldhouse presented in partnership with the Stanley Park Ecology Society, The Urban Weaver supports artists from diverse traditions working with ecologists exploring the creative repurposing of green waste.
Listen to CBC Podcast North by Northwest with Amanda and her visit to the Urban Weaver project. CBC North by Northwest Podcast
The Urban Weaver:
Todd Devries (Haida) and Sharon Kallis (Welsh) are local artist-weavers collaborating with the Stanley Park Ecology Society and the Vancouver Park Board in an exploration of how invasive plants in the city can be used as urban substitutes for traditional weaving materials. English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, and yellow flag iris hold great potential as contemporary alternatives, replacing materials such as cedar bark and cattails that cannot be sustainably harvested in urban centres. The artists will be working out of the MacLean Park Fieldhouse, near the Strathcona Community Centre, and there will be open studio times and free community workshops scheduled for spring and summer. Community members can also get involved in harvesting and preparation of the invasive materials for personal creative use. During the project other artists from various backgrounds will be joining us to host Master Class Technique Exchanges including:
Debra Sparrow: Salish loom weaving and spinning
Alastair Heseltine :traditionally trained willow weaver
Tracy Williams : cedar / fiber Squamish spinner and weaver
Brian Jones: tradtional wheat weaver ( Shropshire UK)
Penny Coupland: natural dying processes.
Although the Urban Weaver Project offically ends in September 2012, we will be continuing research and community projects with weaving at the Maclean Park Field house until January 2015!
This project aligns with Park Board’s Strategic Priorities regarding ‘Greening’, ‘Engaging People’ and ‘Resource Management’ and responds to recent motions in support of the creative management and repurposing of both green waste and surplus spaces.
The Urban Weaver Project 
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