August 13, 2025 - August 17, 2025(9am - 5pm)

Tinkering Around: Textile Techniques in Wire

Workshop Fee: $700.00

This workshop will introduce wire as an artistic as well as a practical medium. You will learn how to work with wire and explore its linear qualities as well as creating three-dimensional forms. Using your hands, pliers, and cold connections you will discover the wonderful immediacy of wire working. Basic tinkering and fiber construction techniques, including coiling, sewing, lashing, wrapping, shaping, twining, using jigs and creating patterns will be covered. Wire is a very versatile material and can be incorporated or combined with other materials. We will begin by making small studies and then explore larger forms. The workshop will cover the properties and qualities of different gauges of wire.

All experience levels are invited to enroll although a bit of hand strength is required.

Skills and Techniques:

  • Develop the skill of using cold connections – coiling, sewing, lashing, wrapping, shaping, and twining
  • Learn how to use jigs and paper patterns
  • Developing hand skills using a variety of pliers
  • Learn how to design combing the 2-Dimensional linear aspect of drawing with wire with the skill of creating 3-Dimentinal forms
  • Learn practical applications of using wire and pliers for fixing and mending

 

Materials Fee: $55 paid directly to the instructor. Fee includes a pair of ergonomic pliers with built-in wire cutter, coil of steel bailing wire, spool of sewing wire and a variety other wires, miscellaneous supplies like design paper, pumice soap, masking tape.

Special Tools or Equipment: students should have an up to date tetanus shot, journal/sketchbook and favorite pen, 18″ ruler, wear work clothes or an apron, old hand towel, pencils and Sharpie marker, safety glasses if your do not wear glasses, needle nose and parallel jaw pliers if you have them, 6″ and/or 8″ Vice Grips if you have them, the “Original Vice Grip” not a later knock off, any other wire tools you already have, if you want brass or copper or other wire bring it, bits of wire and odds and ends of things to experiment with.

Please be sure to read our 2025 policies before you register for a workshop which can be found here Workshop Policies

10 in stock

(please choose all meals if you are staying on campus.)
We ask students to purchase a meal plan. Our chef can accommodate most dietary needs so please note any restrictions you want us to be aware of on the checkout page.