Ancestry of Belonging brings together three artists whose works merge the age-old traditions of their chosen media with their contemporary aesthetic practices. Their works explore the gifts of understanding and growth bestowed on active participants of a cultural lineage, and how those traditions continue to provide relevant insights in a modern world.
Featuring
Colleen Maria Casey, Rose M. Barron, and Dayna Thacker
An immersive, hands-on community day exploring the journey of local wool from Georgia pastures to the artist’s studio.
The Wonders of Wool: From Pasture to Portfolio
An Introduction to the Georgia Fibershed
Join us for an immersive, hands-on day celebrating the journey of local wool. This program introduces you to the journey between the shepherd’s field and the artist’s studio, offering beginners a chance to explore the tactile world of Georgia-grown fiber.
Registration
Capacity: Space is strictly limited to 6 participants per Lab.
Registration: Please register for one Lab session. You are encouraged to use your remaining two session time blocks to observe our ongoing demonstrations and visit the shepherd classroom.
Day-of Additions: If space remains available in a session upon arrival, you may register for additional Labs at that time.
Schedule: 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Ongoing Demos
Skirting & Washing: Learn to “read” a raw fleece and master the basics of scouring wool.
Kool-Aid Dyeing: Experiment with food-safe color and discover how protein fibers absorb dye.
Picking & Carding: Practice preparing wool using hand carders to create soft, workable clouds of fiber.
Mini-Workshops – Choose your own fiber journey! These 45-minute, small-group “Fiber Labs” are designed as an introductory “taster” of traditional techniques using local fleeces.
Drop Spindle Basics: Learn the mechanics of twist and the “park and draft” method to create simple hand-spun yarn.
Needle Felting: A creative introduction to dry-felting. Use a barbed needle to “paint” a small wool image onto fabric.
Mini-Tapestry Weaving: Create a 4-inch textural weaving using a mix of raw fleece and local fibers.
Meet the Shepherds
Visit our dedicated classroom space to meet local Georgia shepherds and explore a curated collection of locally grown fiber items.
Supported By
This project is made possible through the generous support of:
Atlanta Contemporary Nexus Fund (@atlantacontemporary)
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (@warholfoundation)
Colleen Maria Casey is a photographer, quilter, artist, business owner. Her most recent work is in creating patterns sewing and crafting.
Colleen Maria Casey is a photographer, quilter, artist, business owner. Her most recent work is in creating patterns sewing and crafting. Her craft projects and patterns embrace a new bold look at recycled and reused materials. Colleen’s Christmas ornaments and wearables, made from aluminum drink cans, are available in local shops and online around the United Statesand in her own online shop, SomeArtFabric.com.
Her sewing patterns are designed to help new to advanced quilters power through tedious piecing processes to create amazing quilt tops in very little time. Her techniques for the I Love You(r DNA) quilt are a wildly popular class she teaches for sewing guilds and the trade show circuit.
She travels the country visiting sewing, crafting and quilting shows hosting the unique and hard to find fabrics she adores for her company, SomeArtFabric.com, which is affiliated with this site, SomeArt.com.
Flower Truck, part of the series “Family” Click the image to view this portfolio.
She is most known for her stunning black and white large format photography series entitled “Family.” In this series, she explores the intimate moments of family life in southern Georgia.
