The ReDefine series at ReCreative Denver is back with its third installment, this time centered around fabric. This Friday evening artists, makers and community members alike will gather in the ReCreative space in the Santa Fe arts district to reconsider how they use fabric – recycled or otherwise – to get creative.
READ: Left Over Paint Becomes Beautiful Art in Laura Heck’s Work
Last year ReCreative wanted to rethink their programming and events. With numerous other spaces and organizations that offer great art classes, the team at ReCreative knew they needed to utilize something other spaces didn’t have access to – endless amounts of craft supplies. “We’re this huge space, which is fantastic. We also have a gallery, which is wonderful, and a ton of materials at our fingertips,” Jane McDonald of ReCreative Denver commented.
The ReDefine series tackles one material that is frequently donated to the reuse store with each installment of the series. This fall, participants rethought how they could use paper in their creative processes and earlier this winter attendees learned how to transform pieces of wood into art.
ReDefine: Paper – Photo courtesy of ReCreative Denver
For this month’s event on fabric, ReCreative rounded up some of Denver’s best artists and craft-focused organizations to host a night full of inspired fun. Independence Street Yarn will teach yarn dying, artist Kim Mirus will help participants weave fabric into art and attendees will make t-shirt totes with Denver Sewing Collective. Other community members sharing their various fabric craft ideas include Emily Hope Dobkin of betterish, Holly of Textile Restyle and Sonya Erickson of Doctorigami.
“We always try to include an educational piece” in addition to the hands-on work, McDonald explained. For ReDefine: Fabric, ReCreative is working with the nonprofit We Made This to make collages out of recycled fabric. This organization works “closely with refugees and getting them jobs, creating really beautiful authentic unique pieces such as handbags and garments,” said McDonald, and will raise awareness about their work in the Denver community.
Another educational component will spark a discussion about who textiles were made for throughout history. Attendees will use different types of fabric to dress paper dolls with Two Bee Industries while learning more about the socioeconomic class that certain materials belonged to in the past and how we use these fabrics to gender our peers then and now.
ReDefine: Paper – Photo courtesy of ReCreative Denver
Throughout the ReDefine series, ReCreative hopes to showcase the numerous ways that materials can be used to make art. Stop by ReCreative on Friday night to get your hands messy and participate in a collaborative art event.
Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for children and free for kids under the age of five. ReCreative is located at 765 Santa Fe Dr., Denver, and the event runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m.