living wall xiii

albany school of the humanities living wall

In Spring of 2023, I worked with the 5th grade class at the Albany School of the Humanities. I spoke with them about ecosystems and the importance of understanding the different interconnected environments that make up our planet from deserts to forests to coral reefs. The whole grade had a chance to vote on which eco system they wanted their Fiber Living Wall to represent to the school. They voted for the forest. The focus of the wet felting and needle felting sessions I taught to the kids was on mushrooms. They learned about how important fungi are for the health of the forest and how specialized mycorrizhal fungi connect 90% of plants on the planet and allow them connect and communicate with each other. While they learned the wet felting process of binding wool fibers together into malleable fabric sculpture, we talked about the importance for connection within our own communities and how when we all work together on something, like this community art project, we can create something even greater than ourselves, the same way ecosystems function.

A huge thanks to Amanda Manatto, the wonderful art teacher at Ash who brought me in to work her students.