The Community Tapestry & The Open Shuttle Project by Noah M. Barclay
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The Community Tapestry & The Open Shed Shuttle
Hosted at the Vancouver Arts and Music Festival from August 7–9, The Community Tapestry was an interactive, community-built weaving installation designed to foster dialogue and collective artistry. Operating within a custom-designed textile pavilion, the project invited the public to participate in The Open Shed Shuttle, an ongoing series of hands-on weaving sessions where visitors added their own threads to a unified, monumental piece of regional art.
The Vision, Cultural Roots, & Artistic Competence As a multidisciplinary artist based in Southwest Washington, my work explores the intersection of community engagement, tactile design, and shared creative space. This work is deeply rooted in the communal labor practices of my Ethiopian heritage—where I vividly remember men and women working together on floors and public streets, making weaving a shared act of daily life.
Traditional textile arts can often be cost-prohibitive and isolating, but this initiative transforms a historically vital craft into a radically accessible tool for connection. By utilizing donated materials, we remove financial barriers so that anyone can participate in art for the sake of play rather than pure purpose. Beyond the creation of a physical tapestry, this meditative practice offers profound cognitive benefits, aiding in attention retention and creating new neural pathways, turning the act of communal weaving into a living reflection of our collective story.
Installation Materials & Environment
The Pavilion: An 8-sided, 10x7-foot gazebo featuring a louvered top adorned with cascading fabric strands and interactive paper tags holding the community’s written hopes and reflections.
The Tools: 12 custom 10x12-inch frame-style looms threaded with twine warps, utilizing paint sticks and custom-designed weaving shuttles laser-cut by Julie Barclay.
The Fiber: Hundreds of yards of donated yarn sourced directly from local fiber arts businesses and community members.
Collaborators & Community Sponsors This project was a testament to regional collaboration, brought to life through the generosity of local partners:
Curator & Coordinator: Sharon Svec
Installation: North of the Columbia Handweaver's Guild
Material Collection & Promotion: Vancouver Fort Knitting Guild, Dandelion Teahouse, Dyeing Ritual Portland, Hook & Needle Vancouver, and Christine (yarn coordination).
Fiscal Sponsorship: Enspire Arts (501(c)(3)), allowing us to process tax-deductible material donations and formally partner with parks, galleries, and public schools.
A Foundation of Gratitude: The enduring success of these community weaving efforts is held together by the strength of a foundational circle of educators, mothers, and community leaders. I owe a profound debt of gratitude to Julie Barclay, Rebecca Calnan Watson, Donna McClellan, Heidi Morris, and Nancy O'Neill Brattfor championing this vision over the years.
Bring This Installation to Your Community: The Community Tapestry is a fully adaptable public art framework designed to travel. If you are a gallery, municipality, or school interested in hosting The Open Shed Shuttle to activate your public spaces, or a community member looking to make a tax-deductible contribution of yarn or funds, please reach out via the contact page to discuss booking and logistics.
Thank you to the sponsors.
