All Discussions Tagged 'outreach' - crafthaus2024-03-29T07:29:34Zhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/group/turkcraft/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=outreach&feed=yes&xn_auth=noUpcoming Istanbul Saletag:crafthaus.ning.com,2013-03-26:2104389:Topic:4051772013-03-26T23:51:32.447ZJames Thurmanhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/JamesThurman
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058387193?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058387193?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"></img></a> There has been a pause in our blogging on the Women’s Cooperative but we are happy to report that the women in Mardin are doing well: They are currently preparing work for the big sale in Istanbul coming up in the next month that we wrote about earlier. We are happy with the progress this project has made over the course of the last year, thrilled to have met the women’s…</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058387193?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058387193?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>There has been a pause in our blogging on the Women’s Cooperative but we are happy to report that the women in Mardin are doing well: They are currently preparing work for the big sale in Istanbul coming up in the next month that we wrote about earlier. We are happy with the progress this project has made over the course of the last year, thrilled to have met the women’s cooperative and grateful for having been able to share this unique experience with you all. We believe that there is tremendous potential in combining traditional Turkish handcrafts with contemporary design approaches and we sincerely hope that our cooperation has helped the Mardin community a little on their way to becoming more successful in selling their craft work. We have learned a great deal from the experience.<br/><br/>The women in Mardin are now moving on on their own, therefore Umut and I have decided to tackle our next project: We are currently in the process of identifying another women’s group, this time in Turkey’s capital Istanbul where Umut lives and works.<br/><br/>We want to thank everyone for their support, encouragement, and interest in the project! We plan to update everyone about any future projects we may tackle, probably in a new crafthaus group - so stay tuned. We also want to thank Brigitte publicly for her wisdom, guidance, and inspiration! It's been an honor to have this project supported by crafthaus and to have the opportunity to share it with everyone. We'll be back with more news soon!<br/><br/></p> The Glass Furnace Saletag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-12-17:2104389:Topic:3847742012-12-17T16:13:47.474ZJames Thurmanhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/JamesThurman
<p>Merhaba from Turkey! Over the winter break, I will be here in Istanbul with Umut. As always, we have a lot that we want to do while we are together for next few weeks. For this Blog, we will focus on news related to our work with the ÇATOM. On Sunday, 16 December, while I was teaching the second day of my workshop at The Glass Furnace, <a href="http://www.camocagi.org/en/" target="_blank">http://www.camocagi.org/en/</a>, the school was also hosting a Open House that included a holiday…</p>
<p>Merhaba from Turkey! Over the winter break, I will be here in Istanbul with Umut. As always, we have a lot that we want to do while we are together for next few weeks. For this Blog, we will focus on news related to our work with the ÇATOM. On Sunday, 16 December, while I was teaching the second day of my workshop at The Glass Furnace, <a href="http://www.camocagi.org/en/" target="_blank">http://www.camocagi.org/en/</a>, the school was also hosting a Open House that included a holiday sale. Umut staffed our table where we were selling our own artworks as well as the work the ÇATOM. It was a great opportunity to share this project with many more people.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058336829?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058336829?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>In addition to the sale at The Glass Furnace, Umut and I will be hosting a Studio Sale at our Istanbul apartment this coming weekend. We will have many of the new designs from the ÇATOM in addition to our newest work. It will be interesting to see what work people are interested in and any feedback we receive about the project overall.</p>
<p> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058334869?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058334869?profile=original" width="680"/></a></p>
<p>As a surprise for Umut, I commissioned a current University of North Texas fibers graduate student, Joy Ude, to sew a felt throw-pillow of Shahmaran. Joy creates a wide range of work, from her one-of-a-kind artworks to fun and playful production pieces. Of course, Umut was very surprised and excited. We have thoughts that this pillow could be a production prototype for the ÇATOM but, anticipating this, Joy has some modifications that she is thinking of doing to streamline the production of it. At least for now, it’s a great addition to our Istanbul apartment!</p>
<p> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058335567?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058335567?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>Partly inspired by all the fiber-based work of the ÇATOM, Umut has been doing a lot of felting recently. She has been prototyping and designing a variety of new designs incorporating felt, both for her own work and for the ÇATOM. We just sent another box of materials to Mardin today. Before we know it, the big ÇATOM sale in Istanbul will be here with lots of our new designs!</p> Inspirationstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-11-18:2104389:Topic:3794002012-11-18T22:43:19.818ZJames Thurmanhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/JamesThurman
<p>Well, I hope the following image doesn’t ruin the surprise for anyone looking forward to receiving their holiday card this year. As I mentioned in a previous posting, it’s become a tradition for me to make a small copper ornament to accompany the annual holiday card. Here’s the stack of cards with their ornaments, awaiting a long weekend of personal note writing. I do have to admit that I do enjoy pausing at least once a year to appreciate the people in our lives and renew those…</p>
<p>Well, I hope the following image doesn’t ruin the surprise for anyone looking forward to receiving their holiday card this year. As I mentioned in a previous posting, it’s become a tradition for me to make a small copper ornament to accompany the annual holiday card. Here’s the stack of cards with their ornaments, awaiting a long weekend of personal note writing. I do have to admit that I do enjoy pausing at least once a year to appreciate the people in our lives and renew those connections.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058322753?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058322753?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a>The design of the dieformed copper ornament was inspired by a repeated stone ornament that Umut and I saw frequently in the various stone works in the Mardin area. For a variety of reasons, Umut and I are both very drawn to radial imagery, in everything from naturally growing flowers to traditional ornamental patterns abstracted from nature, and even commonplace objects like manhole covers. We don’t have any plans to use this die for any specific ÇATOM designs but there is always the possibility…</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058324347?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058324347?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058322511?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058322511?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>Although the following might seem a little tangential, we are really excited about this! Recently, Umut and I became aware of an ancient and very significant archaeological site about three hours from Mardin called “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6bekli_Tepe" target="_blank">Göbekli Tepe</a>” It’s now thought to be the oldest known man-made religious structure in the world and is completely changing what’s known of early human Neolithic history! Given the amount of carved stone animal imagery, perhaps there could be some connection to the ancient stories of Shahmaran. We hope to be able to visit the site during one of our future trips to Mardin.</p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058324778?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058324778?profile=original" width="394"/></a><a target="_self" href="http://api.ning.com:80/files/nm0c4MGDJi3sXWy9SWJcwRFf*zwPQAIDGDY4VvyvZLDsOXXltXBHJQZxbIpbg0tUBruSAZ*ByUCeiAdM295IMg-OpxyDuhqc/gobeklitepe_nov08_631.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://api.ning.com:80/files/nm0c4MGDJi3sXWy9SWJcwRFf*zwPQAIDGDY4VvyvZLDsOXXltXBHJQZxbIpbg0tUBruSAZ*ByUCeiAdM295IMg-OpxyDuhqc/gobeklitepe_nov08_631.jpg" width="631"/></a></p>
<p></p> New Printed Materialstag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-11-05:2104389:Topic:3767032012-11-05T03:03:30.241ZJames Thurmanhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/JamesThurman
<p>While Umut has been visiting Mardin and working with other interested parties in Turkey, I’ve been working on having some new materials printed related to the project. Even in this digital age (or maybe because of it…), printed materials just seem to make an idea <u>real</u>. As we prepare to sell the current and new designs of the Ömerli-ÇATOM, we thought it would be a good idea to have a small card to enclose with the pieces sold. The small business card would briefly explain in English…</p>
<p>While Umut has been visiting Mardin and working with other interested parties in Turkey, I’ve been working on having some new materials printed related to the project. Even in this digital age (or maybe because of it…), printed materials just seem to make an idea <u>real</u>. As we prepare to sell the current and new designs of the Ömerli-ÇATOM, we thought it would be a good idea to have a small card to enclose with the pieces sold. The small business card would briefly explain in English what a ÇATOM is and direct people to the TurkCraft.org website for more information.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058316106?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058316106?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>Since some of the new designs will be incorporating Thurmanite®, Umut translated my current Thurmanite® information card into Turkish so we can enclose it with any pieces that include Thurmanite® sold in Turkey.</p>
<p> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058321221?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058321221?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>It’s become a tradition of mine to mail a card to my friends and colleagues at the end of every year, usually accompanied by a small copper ornament. This year, we decided to dedicate the card to the</p>
<p>ÇATOM Project. Since many of the new designs incorporate the folk art image of Shahmaran, the card includes a new collage version of Shahmaran made by Umut, along with a short explanation. The copper ornament will be die-pressed and attached to the card as if it were the pendant of Shahmaran’s necklace. I haven’t finished the die yet but I thought I would give everyone a sneak peek. The finished copper piece will be a radial design inspired by the stone work found in the Mardin area.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058321796?profile=original"><img width="750" class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058321796?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="750"/></a></p>
<p>This coming weekend, Umut will be hosting a Studio Sale in Istanbul. We will have ÇATOM works for sale along with pieces of our own. It will be interesting to see what people think of all the new work. We will certainly share any relevant observations and comments. If you happen to be in Istanbul, please come by and do some early holiday shopping!</p>
<p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058316193?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058316193?profile=original" width="680"/></a></p> How it all began...tag:crafthaus.ning.com,2012-10-05:2104389:Topic:3717232012-10-05T22:43:23.419ZJames Thurmanhttps://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/JamesThurman
<p>The following are a few key points of a new project that I am tremendously excited about:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li>This past May, a former student of mine invited my wife and me to help a women’s work cooperative in Southeastern Turkey to create and market new designs and products.</li>
<li>These ÇATOMs (Multi-Purpose Community Centers) were established by the Turkish government to improve the situation of women in the area.</li>
<li>The current work they are producing and selling is made…</li>
</ul>
<p>The following are a few key points of a new project that I am tremendously excited about:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li>This past May, a former student of mine invited my wife and me to help a women’s work cooperative in Southeastern Turkey to create and market new designs and products.</li>
<li>These ÇATOMs (Multi-Purpose Community Centers) were established by the Turkish government to improve the situation of women in the area.</li>
<li>The current work they are producing and selling is made extremely well but lacks a contemporary design approach that we could assist them with.</li>
<li>We are seeking funding from a variety of sources to buy new tools and materials for the ÇATOM to produce new work.</li>
<li>The new designs will debut at an annual exhibition/sale of all ÇATOM’s work in Istanbul in June 2013.</li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>It is thrilling to be involved in a project like this where lives are being significantly improved through craft. We hope that you see the value and potential of this project like we do!</p>
<p> <a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058301218?profile=original"><img width="500" class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1058301218?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500"/></a></p>
<p>BACKGROUND</p>
<p>This past May, I was invited by a craft school in Istanbul, Turkey to give a workshop on paper-resin jewelry. In the workshop, I had ten students all from different backgrounds: some hobbyists, some designers, and even a teacher of handcrafts from the southeast of Turkey. Her name is Müjde. She teaches in a women’s cooperative in the southeast of Turkey. I learned that there are many women's groups in Turkey who are trying to help rural area women to become more financially independent. These women have little education, so they have difficulty getting good jobs. They get together at this cooperative center and make handcrafts. They have great handskills but they have challenges designing because they don’t have any design education. This cooperative sent one of their teachers to my workshop in Istanbul to learn the resin-paper technique because they know that they need to learn new techniques. These women generally make jewelry, accessories, and tablecloths through knitting, felting, crocheting, and tatting. However, they keep repeating the same things over and over again. They need designers! So, my wife and I, who is also a designer, decided to help them by brainstorming with them to create new designs.</p>
<p> In June, we traveled to the village of Ömerli, outside the city of Mardin in the southeast of Turkey, where Müjde’s ÇATOM is located. We spent three days there, brainstorming new designs, meeting the other women of the ÇATOM, and learning more about the area. The entire time we all felt like old friends—the personal connection and positive energy was incredible! We returned to the USA in July and have been sharing our recent experiences with many friends and colleagues. It appears that our enthusiasm has been contagious because everyone has been so supportive and encouraging. Several people are even anxious to get personally involved themselves.</p>
<p>Right now, not many people want to buy the ÇATOM’s work because they don't make anything original. There is only one problem. We can consult for them for free, but we don't have money to buy materials for them! They need financial support to buy materials because just having some design ideas will not earn them money—they have to actually produce the design. Therefore, my wife and I decided to apply to this grant so that we can help them in providing materials as well. This funding will make a significant positive change in the lives of the women involved.</p>
<p>As this project develops, we have a dream of producing a book about the whole process. This book would have the potential of expanding awareness of the work of the ÇATOMs to an international audience. In the meantime, more information and current updates are available at <<a href="http://www.TurkCraft.org%3E">www.TurkCraft.org></a>;</p>