Waving Goodbye to Winter and Welcoming Spring

Saori Arts Weaving Workshops

For the past few months, the htE team has been busy as ever to provide as many opportunities as we can for survivors to learn new skills and connect with each other. In tandem with our regular 12-week cycle, we have provided survivors with a unique opportunity to learn weaving through a 5-week workshop led by the nonprofit Saori Arts NYC. Participants use a variety of fiber yarn and ribbons to create their own weaving projects from the comfort of their own homes. This smaller group of participants used cardboard to create their own looms and dove right into learning new techniques. The pieces spanned from small coasters to round wall hangings. We are currently in our second workshop cycle with Saori and are excited to see more ways that yarn can be used as an expressive and utilitarian medium.

Fall 2021 Cycle and Showcase

We can’t believe that htE wrapped up its 15th workshop cycle this past December. We continued to embrace and stretch the boundaries of our virtual studio space and found inspiration in our household items. Starting with externalizing our visions and introductions to painting and drawing, we migrated into using our skills to make paper beads and lanterns. Later term works explored intersections between the artificial and natural worlds by making paper foliage wreaths. Our artists continue to amaze us with the new life they can bring to simple everyday items like paper. In response to their ongoing request to learn new skills from across the globe, we also learned about a Japanese art form called Ikebana. Participants had the opportunity to view famous artworks and make their own Ikebana project from flowers and greenery in their neighborhood. Here is a selection of some of the projects that came from this cycle:

Holiday Benefit Show

We invited four dauntless artists to take the stage at our holiday benefit concert this past December. No matter where our hearts gravitate, performers captivated attendees with a wide variety of styles and media to speak to each viewer. David and the Circumstances took the stage performing soothing guitar and vocal covers. Spoken word artists Alana Saab and Tara Evonne Trudell shared short stories and poems about the healing process from interpersonal and environmental trauma. We closed our event with instrumental violin pieces from Sooyeon Jun. Attendees learned more about our current programs and heard from our current workshop teaching artists. The event culminated with our Fall showcase and an opportunity to shop for handmade designs made by our participants. With the spirit of creativity interwoven throughout the night, donors raised $789.46 dollars for our next cycle.

Thank you to all involved! Stay tuned for more workshops and events coming soon!