Olive, you had the most beautiful painted warp. It was exciting seeing the colors blend together. 

Weaving on: Lou
Joining us from: Chicago

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I am a multidisciplinary visual artist whose studio practice encompasses weaving, dyeing, spinning yarn, drawing, glass making and mixed media sculpture and installation.  My studio research efforts focus on the study of Jewish ideas and texts related to mysticism, creation, cosmology and divinity. Weaving is a practice that connects me to the infinite and I often return to abstraction as a means to explore the mysterious and the unknown within Jewish thought. I create objects with intentionality and care and present them as questions rather than prescriptions or lessons. 

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I have been a weaver since 2017 and have made work on tapestry looms and floor looms but was never able to access a TC2 loom until I traveled to Praxis to take the Intro to TC2 Loom Class in June of 2024. Since then, I have taken Digital Weaving File Design Classes online in preparation for the residency. Formally, I am interested in Jewish art historical traditions that links intricacy and beauty to the infinite and I am excited to understand more how the TC2 can be a part of these ongoing investigations within my practice as an artist. 

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

- make a painted warp, practice dressing and warping a TC2 
-to practice making and executing digital weaving files
- to weave with silk and paper and to gain confidence and ability wielding these materials 
- to weave 12 yards of pen drawings translated into weavings. The drawings are inspired by my research into the ancient Jewish mystical text, Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Creation). The drawings reflect the poetic notion of "inscriptions of the void" discussed in the text- ineffable and paradoxical voids (that are both physical and immaterial) through which creative energy flows.


Connect with Olive via instagram @floatyplace, website: www.olivestefanski.com, [email protected]

Michele, we loved your enthusiastic energy in the studio. Your supplemental warp experiments were exciting!

Weaving on: Lou
Joining us from: Toronto, Canada

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I am a graphic designer and artist with a love for textiles, fibre and textures. In 2023 I learned how to use the TC2 and since then it has been my main focus and fundamental to my practice.

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

In 2023 I took my first Weave File Design courses with Cathryn Amidei, and then had the opportunity to attend in person workshops at Praxis DWL. In Toronto we had public access to a TC2 at Artscape Launchpad, where I was able to practice and gain more hands on experience.  Unfortunately this was lost, when Artscape went into receivership in September of that year.

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I hope to dive deeper and expand on the work I started here at Praxis DWL last year, when I attended the residency for the first time. Looking forward to experimenting with new fibers and materials, and to connecting with the community here.

Connect with Michele via instagram @michele_guevara, Website: micheleguevara.ca

Laura it was great to have you here as a resident! You shocked us all with how fast you went through all 12 yards.

Weaving on: Lou
Joining us from: Eastern Pennsylvania

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I’m a textile obsessive. I weave, sew, dye. I thought the TC2 would be a quick way to get some art weaving done. Haha! The learning curve was greater than I blithely expected but I’m hooked. 

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

No

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I have a series of images inspired by tree bark that I want to work on. 

Connect with Laura via instagram @Laurawomack, @oakandlaurelstudio and www.oaklaurelstudio.com

Robin, we have loved spending so much time with you! We always love when locals join us for a residency and your painted warp looks incredible. 

Weaving on: Collin
Joining us from: Greenville NC, and Cleveland OH

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

Being a native Clevelander and a textile artist, I was very excited when Praxis opened. When they decided to expand and create the Digital Weaving Lab, I couldn't wait to be a part of this artistic community. I have been waiting for the opportunity to be a resident artist at Praxis, and my time has finally come! 

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I have been weaving on a TC1/2 since I started graduate school at Kent State University in 2002. I have been teaching digital design and weaving on the TC2 at East Carolina University since 2009 where I am a Professor in the Textile Design program.

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

My goal is to produce three large weavings that are part of a larger body work titled "Materiality as Grief." A dichotomy of materials and techniques will be used to represent both the tangible/physical and the psychological aspects associated with the experience of loss. I will explore the abstraction of photographic imagery through color and woven structure to symbolize the distorting effects of grief. 

Connect with Robin via instagram @robinhaller, Website: ​RobinHallerArt.com, [email protected]​

River we loved seeing the process of your work! The woven shibori was so detailed and exciting to see bundled up.

Weaving on: Lou
Joining us from: Durham, NC

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I work with natural fibers, dyes, and collected objects through weaving, knitting, nalbinding, or quilting to share stories about the interconnections between my relationships to people, dye plants, fiber plants/animals, and nature. 

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I learned how to weave on a TC2 last year at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I am eager to continue exploring woven shibori and using double cloth as a method to make wider, lighter cloth and play with mirroring. Additionally, I am exited to use a linen warp that I dyed with pomegranate skins, pecan hulls, and black walnuts collected in North Carolina.

Connect with River via instagram @riverchilcott, Website: riverchilcott.com

Amir, it was great to have you here at Praxis! We loved seeing your yarn combinations and the intricate weavings you created with so many colors!

Weaving on: Collin
Joining us from: Philadelphia, PA

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I learned how to use the TC-2 in undergrad and was having dreams about it so I decided to apply for the residency. I'm really interested in tapestry and weaving, but I haven't dedicated as much time to it as I have wanted so this allows me to experiment in a way I don't have space for usually. I tried to export weavings to manufacturers but there is a haptic quality to the TC-2 weaving

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

Yes! I took a (pilot) class on it at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and I used it one more time since then. 

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I have many illustrations/drawings that I've wanted to translate to weavings for awhile so my goal is to produce everything. I love the noise and texture created by weaving. I also just love woven imagery. I want to make larger work because previous looms I used had time restraints that limited possibilities for larger work.

Connect with Amir via instagram @amir.khadar, Website: ​www.amirkhadar.com

Great to have you back Katie! So many intricate structures and patterns. Loved seeing your dedication to weave the most possible :)

Weaving on: Collin
Joining us from: Chicago

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

In my work on my floor loom, I utilize pattern-based tapestry as an experimental drawing medium to explore the multitudes of change in the world around me, ranging from large-scale connections surrounding water as a shifting, living entity, to the small, minute changes centered within the body as I meet my own on the day-to-day. I will be continuing two bodies of work during my residency period-- the first are my circles or "moons," which function as queer, transformative symbols.  The second is my work on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, utilizing beauty as a tool for active change.

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I had a Praxis DWL Residency last year which went so well it changed my whole trajectory in making this year and I just had to reapply!

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

Complex structural exploration is the name of the game this time around!  I'm testing out 3+ colors in Compound Weave Structures (a mix of overshot, crackle, and summer and winter) with tabby, as well as mixing tabby and non-tabby structures.  I am also delving deeper into fully structureless images, utilizing the the noise generated in indexing images to create plot points for the weaving.  These images seem to   "dissolve" in their looseness.  

Connect with Katie via instagram @katie.a.vota​

Molly, it was so nice to have you back at Praxis. We loved watching you use the dye lab for your natural dyeing and experiments!

Weaving on: Lou
Joining us from: Calgary, AB Canada

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

As a weaver, finding residencies that have facilities and equipment to support the medium is rare and difficult. Praxis also has the incredible benefit of being a live/work situation, allowing for high production in a short amount of time.

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I attended the Praxis Digital Weaving Lab in 2022, which was my first experience using a jacquard ad TC2 loom.

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

I will be tying on my own warp this time, so I am a bit nervous for that! Otherwise, just to do as much weaving as possible in the 10 days! 

Connect with Molly vis instagram @mollyjfcaldwell, website: www.mollyjfcaldwell.com

Color Studies were happening on Loom 1 these past two weeks! So great to have you back at Praxis Lauren :)

Weaving on: Collin
Joining us from: Brooklyn, NY

Tell us about yourself and what led you to the residency?

I am an artist and designer based out of Brooklyn, New York. In my work I like to explore color and play with color relationships. I mainly weave on an 8 shaft floor loom but have been eager to expand my practice into digital weaving. I’m excited to see what these two weeks at Praxis will bring me :)

Have you had any previous experience with Digital Weaving or Jacquard?

I took the in-person TC2 class here at Praxis with Cathryn Amidei a few summers back and absolutely loved it. I knew instantly I had to come back and keep working with the this loom!

Any goals for the residency you'd like to share?

My main goal for this residency is to experiment, explore and get to know the TC2 loom better. 

Connect with Lauren via instagram @__lalastuff​