Keeping Inspired in the Time of Covid, Part 2
By Cathy M Koos
Back in April when I wrote about keeping inspired and connected in the current times, I had no idea I would be writing about it again in July. Zoom meetings have become commonplace. Face masks have become a political statement. And most of us have not had a sit-down meal in a restaurant since February. Or a guild meeting.
I have been impressed with the ability of museums, galleries, and other art outlets stepping up to the plate and offering their exhibits online. Libraries, museums, Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) and even cruise lines are offering educational and armchair travel at the click of a key.
While this list is not an endorsement, one or more of these links may be just the inspiration you are looking for and help you get out of the Covid Funk. Kind of like Pinterest, here are some rabbit holes you can safely travel down for inspiration!
https://deyoung.famsf.org/museum-from-home The venerable DeYoung Museum, a landmark staple in San Francisco, has a plethora of eye candy available right at your keyboard. Feathers, a contemporary fiber collection, and a collection of garb from The Summer of Love can feed your inner muse.
https://handweaving.net/ This site is a compilation of Ralph Griswold’s Digital Archive on Weaving, Lace, Textiles, and Related Topics, and Kris Bruland, software architect living on Whidbey Island, near Seattle, Washington, weaving drafts. This fascinating collection of hundreds of thousands of pages of old works on textiles. Ralph was a distinguished computer science professor at the University of Arizona who also recognized and appreciated the mathematical and computer science aspects of weaving and shared Kris’s interest in weaving draft0s. This site is an amazing rabbit hole down which to scurry for hours.
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london The Museum of London has a vast collection of dress and textiles from 1600 through the present and includes fancy dress as well as everyday garments.
https://norwegiantextileletter.com/ This quarterly publication is directed at Norwegian and Scandinavian textile techniques, with scholarly articles aimed at raising knowledge of both historical and contemporary weaving and textile techniques.
https://museum.gwu.edu/textile-museum Established in 1925 by George Hewitt Myers at George Washington University in Washington, DC, the collection today numbers more than 21,000 textiles and objects representing five millennia and five continents. In addition, the Arthur D. Jenkins Library of Textile Arts is one of the world’s foremost resources for the study of textiles. Stroll through the galleries to learn more about The Textile Museum Collection.
https://viking.tv/ From the cruise line of the same name, this site offers up some educational and historical tidbits and interviews on their cruise destinations, including Highclere Castle, the Hermitage Museum, music, art and history.
https://www.roadscholar.org/virtuallearning/ Road Scholar, formerly known as Elderhostel, is an educational travel organization directed towards the over-55 age group. While all their trips are on hiatus due to Covid-19, they are offering free online lectures through their website. Explore such topics as the Origins of London, French Canadians, Sedentary Life and Contagious Diseases (this was pretty darn timely), Conflict and Peace in Northern Ireland, Natural History of Bermuda and more.
https://rjohnhowe.wordpress.com/author/rjohn/ You can find R. John Howe’s “Textiles and Text” on WordPress. John focuses on a lot of ethnic textiles and garments, lots of excellent pictures and details, including the best way to tie down a pack on a camel.
https://weavearealpeace.org/ Also known as WARP, this nonprofit grassroots organization’s mission is to foster a global network of textile enthusiasts who recognize and value the importance of textiles in small rural economies.
https://www.carsonnvmuseum.org/marjorie-russell-clothing-and-textile-research-center/ My guild had the privilege of visiting this museum a few years ago. Imagine cabinet after cabinet of dresses, hats, shoes, showgirl outfits and a library tucked into a obscure corner of Carson City. Curator Jan Loverin shared the amazing collection with us. I was in awe of the First Lady’s inaugural gowns, a cape made out of monkey fur, and a reworked wedding dress.