All materials for the course will be provided. All one need bring is an open mind, and willingness to try new things in a beautiful place, amongst like-minded friends.

ACTIVITY

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the magic of indigo and resist dyeing, to create work based on their vision. We will work with eco-friendly soy wax and experiment with different tools for mark-making, from traditional batik tjantings to brushes and stamps, to draw and create patterns on the fabric. Other resist pastes, such as clay and flour resists, will be introduced for experimentation. The history and chemistry of the indigo vat, and how to develop multiple shades of blue will also be discussed.

LOCATION

The Dye Garden is located on the Brooklyn Campus of the Pratt Institute. The garden offers workshops to Pratt Institute and the surrounding community educating on the sustainable and integrative process of natural dyes.

Recognizing the Indigenous knowledge these dyes are based on is central to the garden’s identity, as is an acknowledgement that the garden is built on Lenapehoking territory.

We are fortunate to have the opportunity to use this beautiful outdoor space situated in the heart of Brooklyn for this retreat.

You can read more about the Dye Garden project here: https://textiledyegarden.pratt.edu/.

Date
Friday, October 25th

Time
10am – 4pm ET

Location
This workshop will take place in the Pratt Institute Dye Garden in Brooklyn, NY.

Cost
$250

Our Teacher

Isa Rodrigues is a textile artist, educator, and culture worker based in Brooklyn, New York, and Lagos, Portugal. She’s interested in researching traditional techniques and materials, sustainable processes, and education as a means of community-building and preserving material culture. She’s a founding team member of the Textile Arts Center in Brooklyn, where she was Co-Executive Director and founded the project Sewing Seeds (2010-2015), creating and activating natural dye gardens in public spaces and community gardens in NYC. She continues her research of natural dyes as co-lead for the Pratt Institute’s Natural Dye Garden and as a consultant for The Mothership natural dye garden and residency in Tangier, Morocco. Isa also runs a textile fabrication business, 505 Textiles, through which she has created work for clients such as Altuzarra, Gabriela Hearst, Ace Hotel, M.Patmos, and Thompson Street Studio, amongst others. Her work has been exhibited at the Museum of Art and Design and the Cooper Hewitt Museum. She teaches textile materiality, weaving, natural dyeing, and other surface design techniques at the Textile Arts Center, Catskill Weaving School, Rhode Island School of Design, Fashion Institute of Technology, Ox-Bow School of Art, and Pratt Institute.