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The Nantucket Island School of Design & the Arts (NISDA) has designated August as Heifer Barn Grand Opening Month to celebrate the launching of their expanded Textile & Painting Studios and Library. The public is invited to visit any time, and will be welcomed to see the Barn on Wednesdays during NISDA Cultural Arts Lectures and Gallery Opening, on Thursday Evenings during NISDA’s Community Fete Night, and during one of NISDA’s Artisans Market Day.
The Heifer Barn provides substantial new painting and textile studio space, which is enhanced by a loom donated by Christine Hermansdorfer. The Heifer Barn Studios compliment NISDA’s Long Shed Clay Studio, Dairy Barn Admin and Seminar Space, Community Lecture Room, Classroom Studios, Silo Gallery, re-established and expanded Classic & Digital Photography Studio with B&W Darkroom, and NISDA’s Meadow Pavillion which is the site of community gatherings and their many Young Artists classes.
Beginning this first week of August and continuing throughout the month, NISDA’s textile offerings include: Memory Pattern Workshop, Textile Design & Direct Techniques creating scarves, floor clothes, or mandelas, taught by Kathy Kelm, former Professor of Textiles at RISD. Also, Betsy Sibley, former faculty at Beloit College will offer Fiber Creativity Embroidery utilizing computer or scanned images. And How to Design the Home and Garden Within Us will be taught by Donna Elle, founder of the Philosophy of Spiritual Design. Additional classes and workshops include The Art of Repair: Visible Mending Embroidery with Mae Blackwell, Mass College of Art, MFA, and Mini Workshops; a Knit-A-Long; off-loom weaving, placemats, nature tapestries, pattern pillows with RISD Textile Majors and NISDA college interns this summer, Seamus Chandler and Avery Reinhold.
The expansion of Textile and Painting Programs and Art Library are made possible by the gifting return of the Heifer Barn by NISDA’s new neighbor, the Land Bank and a CPC Community Preservation Historic Restoration Grant to re-establish the Heifer on its original site next to the second Silo at NISDA’s Seaview Farm. NISDA’s Wauwinet Seaview Farm Art Center is located at 23 Wauwinet Road. For details, go to nisda.org.
