A 9.5-by-5-inch weaving project created by Kaitlin O’Daniel, a senior studio art major from Sparta, as part of her online studio art class taught by Appalachian art professor Jeana Klein. O’Daniel used perle cotton and thick yarn to make the piece. Photo Kaitlin O’Daniel
The weaving project “Precious Commode-ity” by Jeana Klein, professor of fibers in and assistant chair of Appalachian’s Department of Art. The project features woven toilet paper in a twill weave shown under the lid of a toilet seat. Photo submitted
A 9.5-by-5-inch weaving project created by Kaitlin O’Daniel, a senior studio art major from Sparta, as part of her online studio art class taught by Appalachian art professor Jeana Klein. O’Daniel used perle cotton and thick yarn to make the piece. Photo Kaitlin O’Daniel
BOONE, N.C. — When Appalachian State University began online instruction in March, Jeana Klein, professor of fibers in and assistant chair of Appalachian’s Department of Art, encouraged students in her weaving class, who typically meet in Appalachian’s Wey Hall, to look around their homes to find items with which to weave. She did the same.
The result sparked creativity for both Klein and her students, who created weaving projects using objects such as horsehair, toilet paper, exercise equipment, ladies’ tights and kitchen chairs to replace weaving textiles and a loom. The students and Klein had to find ways to mimic the role of the looms by stretching materials around various objects, including fly swatters, chairs, forks and even toilet seats.
The weaving project “Precious Commode-ity” by Jeana Klein, professor of fibers in and assistant chair of Appalachian’s Department of Art. The project features woven toilet paper in a twill weave shown under the lid of a toilet seat. Photo submitted
“It’s really been about finding a place they can stretch things on; some of my students have wrapped yarn through their chairs,” Klein said. “One of my students is weaving individual sections of a blanket until she has enough to construct a blanket for her grandmother. She can’t be near her grandmother right now due to the social distancing restrictions but wants her grandmother to know she’s thinking of her, which is really sweet.”
Kaitlin O’Daniel, a senior studio art major from Sparta, displays a 17-by-4-inch weaving project made from thick yarn and twine. O’Daniel made the piece as part of her online studio art class taught by Appalachian art professor Jeana Klein. Photo submitted
The in-progress, hand-woven project pictured, which is attached to a rectangular wall mirror, features perle cotton, lace, yarn and other miscellaneous materials. The piece was made by Kaitlin O’Daniel — a senior studio art major from Sparta who can be seen in the mirror’s reflection taking a photo of her project, as part of her online studio art class taught by Appalachian art professor Jeana Klein. Photo by Kaitlin O’Daniel
Klein said her students continued to make progress in their work, despite the challenges of creating projects without a loom.
“My goals for this class, as it has transitioned online, have been to continue to offer a meaningful learning experience, and to support our students during this incredibly difficult time. I’m incredibly proud of what my students have accomplished the last seven weeks,” she said.
“As artists they are uniquely prepared to respond to challenges with creativity.”
Klein said she has learned from the experience of teaching online, even as she looks forward to returning to in-person instruction when possible.
“While this is not an ideal environment for a studio art class, my teaching has been forever changed, and there are things from this experience I will incorporate into my future classes,” she said.
Appalachian art professor Jeana Klein made the complex weaving pattern pictured to demonstrate such a pattern for her students. She made the piece by weaving various colored ladies’ tights through the legs of a chair. Photo submitted
Jeana Klein, professor of fibers in and assistant chair of Appalachian’s Department of Art, completed the experimental weaving project pictured by using a fork and al dente spaghetti. Photo submitted
Klein will continue to invite artists to speak and share their artistic approaches with students via Zoom video conferencing, she said, and will possibly provide instructional videos for students to watch before each studio class so students “can spend more time in class working on the skill I’m teaching them that day.”
Klein’s Instagram page shows some of the work she completed to inspire her students as she continues to use her weaving skills away from the loom.
One of Klein’s weaving projects, titled “Precious Commode-ity,” features woven toilet paper in a twill weave shown under the lid of a toilet seat. “I folded the toilet paper into quarters and wove it together before putting it under the seat,” Klein explained. “Then I disassembled it so it could be used as it was meant to be used.”
To illustrate weaving examples for her online studio class, Jeana Klein, professor of fibers in and assistant chair of Appalachian’s Department of Art, pictured at left, used ties she had on hand from making face masks to create the weave pattern pictured at right in a Raleigh Arts Instagram post. Her weave pattern is one of 18 pieces of artwork to be featured in Raleigh Arts’ virtual “Creative Quarantine” exhibition, which received more than 150 submissions from artists across the U.S. who are staying creative while sheltering in place during COVID-19. Images submitted
To illustrate weaving examples for her online studio class, Jeana Klein, professor of fibers in and assistant chair of Appalachian’s Department of Art, pictured at top, used ties she had on hand from making face masks to create the weave pattern pictured at bottom in a Raleigh Arts Instagram post. Her weave pattern is one of 18 pieces of artwork to be featured in Raleigh Arts’ virtual “Creative Quarantine” exhibition, which received more than 150 submissions from artists across the U.S. who are staying creative while sheltering in place during COVID-19. Images submitted
Klein has also begun sewing face masks to share with those who need one.
“It’s been a bit challenging to focus on my own studio work right now, and I needed to use my skill sets,” she said. “By making masks, and doing the demonstrations for my weaving class, I’ve been able to be useful and challenge that part of my brain.”
With the skills she’s learned from this experience and input from her studio art students, Klein plans to teach an entire class of weaving online during one of Appalachian’s Summer Sessions.
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About the Department of Art
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression and creative problem-solving while challenging them to go beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, photography and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, photography and graphic communications management. Learn more at https://art.appstate.edu.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://faa.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
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