Friday, October 25, 2013

Dia De Los Muertos Drop-In Workshops and Celebration on November 2nd


Join Oil and Cotton in a celebration of life, death, and creative expression through workshops for kids, families, and adults. This is a drop-in event that does not require pre-registration.



Penny Dreadfuls
For kids ages 6+
4-6 pm
Cost: Free

In the days of Victorian Britain, the Penny Dreadful was popular among children and adolescents. The flimsy paper books  only cost a penny, and were full of scary and sensational stories. Children of the day would form groups to buy and share a Penny Dreadful. 

 In this workshop, Jason Poyfair will teach children the fundamentals of writing their very own scary stories. They will learn the basics of plot and character development. They will learn how to weave a tale of terror suitable for their next camp out or slumber party.


Jason Poyfair is a Ninth Grade English teacher at Everman High School. He has been teaching English for ten years and has a great love for the subject. Teaching Gothic Horror stories is the highlight of his school year. When he is not teaching, he enjoys writing poetry and novels. 



Spirit Catchers: Day of the Living Dead Pinhole Camera Workshop

For Families
$30 per family
4-6pm

Using the simplest form of a camera, see if you can conjure the spirits of the dead to take home photographic proof to all your friends and family. Attendees to this workshop will use pinhole cameras, props, costumes and creative backgrounds to create Dia de los Muertos inspired photographs. We will also discuss past examples and explore the popularity of spirit photography.

Bring in the whole family to create your own spirit portraits using props available in the studio, or bring your own costumes to see who is still watching over you! Learn the art of pinhole photography and see how images come alive. This workshop is appropriate for any level photographer; no experience is required.

Each person will get the chance to practice to learn exposure and development times. Traditional photography chemicals will be in use at the studio, so we request that an adult accompanies minors. Then it is up to your intuition and imagination to catch the spirit of the dead!

Materials included:
Photo paper
1 pinhole camera to take home

Additional sheets of photo paper will be available for sale in the retail shop. 



In Remembrance:  Life and Death in Relation to the Creative Image.
Adults
20$
6-8pm

Artist, Elva Maria Salinas invites you to join her in a workshop that celebrates Life and Death in relation to creativity.  The inspiration for the workshop is Dia Del Los Muertos/Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday celebrating the life and death of family and friends who have passed away.

In this workshop, memories, emotions, and thoughts related to life and death become the focus and are used to create a creative vision for a small on site project and long-term project plan.

The workshop includes a small inspiration lecture on artists that explore the relation of life and death, memories of loved ones that have passed, and the relationship that the living have with death.  Followed with an exploration of the participants unique voice through short writing exercises, and an on - site project.

Participants are asked to bring their choice of medium which can include photographs, the camera, watercolor, acrylics, pencil, and pastels.  

Feel free to bring:
Objects
Photos
Flowers
Food
Music
And anything that may remind you of family and friends that have passed.



Oil and Cotton Creative Exchange
837 W. 7th St.
Dallas, TX
214.942.0474

Thursday, October 10, 2013

SPRUCE Upholstery at Oil and Cotton!



SPRUCE Upholstery is now touring the South and and will be teaching two amazing workshops at Oil and Cotton! Come join the Sprucettes on November 4th  and explore the basics of upholstery by creating a finished bench or turning your favorite fabric into your favorite lampshade. SPRUCE's aesthetics and enthusiasm to spread upholstery education far and wide has made them a big success and they have been featured in many magazines and blogs such as Southern Living, Good House Keeping, Country Living and Design Sponge. So come join us and learn the ins and outs of upholstery with the experts!



 Bench Class with SPRUCE Upholstery
$245
November 4th
1pm-5pm

From wooden substrate to finished bench, you’ll pad, staple fabric, and attach tapered legs to complete this 16″-deep by 48″-long bench. Class includes the frame, legs, upholstery materials, and four hours of hands-on upholstery instruction. Bring your favorite fabric and a sack lunch and turn nothing into something by creating this custom bench from scratch.

Click here to register for the class!



Lampshade Class with SPRUCE Upholstery
$175
November 4th
2pm-5pm

In this one-day class, turn your favorite fabric into your favorite cylindrical shade. Class includes all materials (excluding fabric) and three hours of hands-on instruction. We’ll show you how to determine the perfect size for the drum. Then we’ll mount the fabric to lampshade paper and assemble the project with metal rings and glue. Say goodbye to boring, store-bought shades!

Click here to register for the class!

Friday, September 27, 2013

INVASIVE: Photographic Works by Rachel Rushing



Invasive: Photographic Works By Rachel Rushing
September 28-October 31

Opening, September 28th, 6:00-8:00 pm

Oil and Cotton is pleased to announce an exhibition of the recent work of Rachel Rushing. The opening reception will be hosted at Oil and Cotton on Saturday, September 28 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The event is free to the public, with food and beverages provided.

Invasive is a presentation of photographic prints, installations, and artist books that explore threats to local ecosystems in the form of excess waste and litter. Rachel Rushing has desired to find a meaningful connection to the natural world in the midst of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolis and through her investigation has come into a greater understanding of her own ecological relationships. Rushing’s work brings awareness and thoughtful consideration to habits of consumption, waste, and apathy within the local biome.


Oil and Cotton Creative Exchange
837 W. 7th St.
Dallas, TX
214.942.0474

Gallery hours:
Tuesday - Friday, 1 pm - 6 pm
Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Oil and Cotton at the Trans-Pecos Music Festival!





Woven Altars
Instructor: Sarah Westrup
Cost: $45Saturday, September 14 from 10 am to 1pm

Oil and Cotton will be out in West Texas celebrating the culture of the Southwest by creating miniature woven altars at the Trans-Pecos Music Festival in Marfa,Texas. Students will learn how to transform a simple box into a functioning loom and weave a space for memory. Utilize an assemblage of materials such as textiles, paper, photos, and cherished treasures to construct meaning within your own personal shrine. Found objects such as grasses, yucca pods, cactus needles, and tumble weeds will be incorporated into your altar so you can take a little piece of West Texas home with you. Participants will explore the process of creating layers with simple woven structures and collage natural and man made materials. Folks are welcomed to bring any items or images they would like to incorporate into their shrine or choose from an array of provided materials.

Visit www.sunbeamoperations.sqsp.com to learn more about the instructor, Sarah Westrup.


To register, email: Lizzy@elcosmico.com


Click here to see the full Trans-Pecos Music Festival workshop listing.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Sewing Classes for Kids,Teens, and Adults!



We had a great time yesterday printing and dyeing our fabric for the Home Decor Camp that is now in session. Students are working hard stamping, tie- dyeing, and sewing their very own bed set which includes, throw pillows, bed sheets, and an awesome ombre dyed duvet cover.

 If you are a crafty cat wanting to improve your sewing skills check out our schedule of fall weekly sewing classes kids, adults, and teens. In these classes students will get to know their very own sewing machine or can rent one for only $5 a class. Participants will learn how to make an array of home decorative items such as pillows, curtains, basic upholstery, clothing/accessories, and holiday projects. Our weekly sewing classes start on Tuesday, September 3 and are now on sale!






Instructor: Jesse Bartlett
Cost: SALE  $375
Tuesdays, 4-5:30pm
Classes run from Sept 3 - May 22
*No classes held on Thanksgiving, Dec 26, and Jan 2


Fall Teen Weekly Sewing Class
Instructor: Jesse Bartlett
Cost: SALE  $375
Tuesdays, 5:30-7pm
Classes run from Sept 3 - May 22
*No classes held on Thanksgiving, Dec 26, and Jan 2


Instructor Jesse Bartlett
Cost: SALE $450
Tuesdays, 7-9pm
Classes run from Sept 3 - May 22
*No classes held on Thanksgiving, Dec 26, Jan 2 

Monday, July 22, 2013

OIL AND COTTON PROJECT ROOM AT THE DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART FROM JULY 19 – AUGUST


Oil and Cotton is pleased to announce the OIL AND COTTON PROJECT ROOM, an installation that features FREE workshops, events and activities, highlighting an exciting mix of education and art-making practices, in conjunction with the exhibition DallasSITES: Available Space at the Dallas Museum of Art.

Oil and Cotton is a creative commons for learning and sharing ideas. This exhibition is a mini-version of our Oak Cliff location, where we facilitate creative education and cultural exchange for all ages. The heart of our programming is at the intersection of academic art, the tradition of handcraft, and human ingenuity.




Join us for a series of workshops, events, and projects that explore process, material, and art making for all.




5-12am Friday, July 19: Opening Night
COLLECT & SORT: The public is invited to add to our collection of donated materials and bring in their old art and craft supplies to build out studio at the DMA. Help Oil and Cotton owners Kayli House Cusick and Shannon Driscoll collect, sort, and organize. Inventory will be available to museum visitors to use in make and take activities.

Architect Esther Walker will put finishing touches on her design of the Oil and Cotton Project Room in the Available Space exhibition at the DMA. Visitors will be invited to ask questions, view sketches, and learn about architectural processes. Drop-In, All Ages

1-4pm, Saturday, July 20
TEJIDO: Fiber artist, Sarah Westrup, will take up residency in our DMA studio. Sarah will weave the Spanish language into our space by labeling storage areas and sorted bins in Spanish. She will create a glossary of fiber art terms in a small English/Spanish vocabulary book. She will make the book throughout the day and invite people to assist with the bookmaking process: printing, collating and binding culminating in a limited edition handmade bilingual book. Drop-In, all ages.

11-3pm, Saturday, July 20
BULB BASKET WEAVING: Expert weaver Jan Schmidt will teach students an open weave pattern. The baskets will function as storage during our exhibition and may be taken home after the exhibition. The basket begins by making a star pattern base, then a small thin reed is woven around and around to form the bulbous body of the basket. Woven in the round in your lap to take on a beautiful organic shape. Observe a workshop in progress.


5-6pm Thursday, July 25
SUMMER STUDIO: The first of three one-hour kids studio art classes taught by Oil and Cotton weekly art class instructor Jessica Sinks. This 3-week drawing course responds to current exhibitions. Advanced registration required through DMA, ages 7 to 18.

6-8:30pm Thursday, July 25: Late Night
WEAVE-IN: Join June Covington, Analise Minjarez, and  University of North Texas School of Visual Arts and Design fiber artists for a variety of weaving demonstrations while discussing fiber arts, the ins and outs of weaving, its history and potential. Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

6-8pm Thursday, July 25: Late Night
NATURAL DYEING DEMO: Experiment with dyeing silk and cotton in a range of natural dye baths using black beans, hibiscus flowers, and avocado pits.  Unlike synthetic dyes, natural dyes are a living thing. The colors produced are very complex and harmonize together. Each color holds hints of other colors within it, producing vibrations in the natural dye color that synthetic dyes could never have. Experience the spontaneity and beauty of the unique colors produced with natural dyes with artist Sarah Westrup. Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

1-3pm Friday, July 26
PRINT//PROOF: Join us for an introduction to printmaking with artist Kyle Hobratschk.
Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

11-1pm Saturday, July 27
ORB: Join artist Emily Riggert and her Community Art Camp students for Project ORB (Operation Rainbow Brains). Make your mark with colorful pastel on tree rings and sticks. Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

1-4pm Saturday, July 27
MEMORY JUGS: Bruce Webb will teach his memory jugs workshop and display and discuss his collection of 19th-20th century memory jugs by African-American Texan folk artists. Advanced registration required through DMA, 8-student maximum.

Wednesday, July 31
Natalie Macellaio Workshop

Thursday, August 1
SUMMER STUDIO: The second of three one-hour kids studio art classes taught by Oil and Cotton weekly art class instructor Jessica Sinks. This 3-week drawing course responds to current exhibitions. Advanced registration required through DMA, ages 7 to 18.

 6-8:30pm Thursday, August 1: Late Night
SOUND MATERIALS: Explore sound art with a discussion and hands-on demonstration of sound mediums. With Kayli House Cusick (hand-written music notation), David Karsten Daniels (laptop/smartphone recording), Martin Back (sound art instrument-building/automated gamelan), and Chaz Underriner (tape music: sound portraits & landscapes).

Friday, August 2
COLOR SORT: Observe and play with the subtleties of working with color.  Join artist Rebecca Carter for an interactive exercise and glimpse into her semester course in color, its theory, concepts and history. Drop-In, teens & adults.

11-Noon Saturday, August 3
THE YANKEE DOODLES: Please join us for The Yankee Doodles Sing-A-Lot Sing-A-Long. There will be a short musical program of American Revolutionary era songs and action rhymes performed by The Yankee Doodles featuring John Dufilho on drums and guitar. Families can participate in a hands-on art activities including spinning wool into yarn. Learn about art, history and individual versus collective action. Come sing along and bring all tiny patriots and future revolutionaries.

The Yankee Doodles are a non-professional performance group founded by Danette Dufilho, Anne Lawrence and Regina Yunker. The program includes action rhymes, flash cards and audience participation. The Yankee Doodles are: Danette Dufilho, John Dufilho, Anne Lawrence, Todd Ramsell, Mike Rudnicki & Regina Yunker. HUZZAH! Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

1-2:30 Saturday, August 3
IT FELT SO GOOD, WET FELTING DEMONSTRATION: Learn the magic of felting with artist Lizzy Wetzel. Transform fibers by stimulating them with friction, moisture, and alkalinity. The resulting felt can be soft and used to make slippers or a fedora hat or tough enough to build a yurt or a sculpture. Join artist Lizzy Wetzel to explore the potential of this ancient process and exciting materials. Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

2:30-4pm Saturday, August 3
ANTHOTYPE: Rachel Rushing will introduce you to this historical process that combines natural dyeing techniques with the magic of sunlight, plant extracts and photography. Share in a discussion of historical and contemporary methods of image-making with this elusive process. We will consider the technical implications of material, color, contrast, dye methods, and fastness, as well as how this almost bygone process has recently found a resurgence of interest. Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.

2:30-4pm Saturday, August 3
ART LAW BASICS: Meg Friess will discuss the diverse spectrum of legal considerations facing the arts community and creatives, including basics of intellectual property and contracts. Meg is an attorney with the intellectual property firm Hitchcock Evert LLP and is the executive director of Arts Counsel Texas, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves creatives, arts nonprofits and businesses, arts professionals, and attorneys by facilitating art law education, legal advocacy, and creative collaboration.

Thursday, August 8: Late Night
SUMMER STUDIO: The third of three one-hour kids studio art classes taught by Oil and Cotton weekly art class instructor Jessica Sinks. This 3-week drawing course responds to current exhibitions. Advanced registration required through DMA, ages 7 to 18.

Friday, August 8, 2013
GRAB BAG: Shannon Driscoll, Kayli House Cusick and Matthew Cusick will repurpose or deaccess and disburse supplies. Studio will be dismantled and artists will be invited to help find new uses for supplies, furniture, equipment. Drop-In Make & Take, all ages.


info@oilandcotton.com


Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Read-rite Market


Join Oil and Cotton for  a fantastic celebration of the written word! We believe in the power of language and are here to show that printed text is here to stay!

The READ-RITE MARKET, a temporary market place with FREE events and programming that highlight the written word and the social arts of reading and writing. The READ-RITE is Saturday, July 20, 10-6pm at Oil and Cotton. The event will create opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations with performance, visual artists and more. JOIN US!!!

Take a look at our event descriptions here

Enjoy a new book after participating in our very special book trade.

Write a post card to another Read-rite visitor and receive one in return by mail.

Experience the celestial quality of Andrea Estrada's Intuitive Calligraphy performance as she looks into your soul and gifts you with a word written in her fine script.

The possibilities are endless, here at the Read-rite Market!


Oil and Cotton Creative Exchange
837 W. 7th Street, Dallas, Texas 75208
Hours of Operation: 10am - 6pm