Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Carole Grandaw fully embraces the ever-present camaraderie and creativity at the Alice Bertschy Kadish (ABK) Weaving Center. Located on the lower level of Gaenslen School in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood, the ABK Weaving Center acts as a source of serenity for many community members. For seven years, Grandaw has been fully immersed in everything the ABK Weaving Center has to offer, but before that, her path to the weaving director position was anything but guaranteed.
“My introduction into weaving on floor looms was purely accidental,” Grandaw said.
Seven years ago, when she could charitably be described as a weaving novice, Grandaw was searching online for a lap loom class. She ultimately discovered the ABK Weaving Center, and registered for the “Weaving Beginner Basics” course, fully expecting to weave on a lap loom.
(One should know: at first glance, the difference between working on a lap loom and weaving on a floor loom can aesthetically appear like the difference between whacking a putt at your local mini golf place and standing on the first tee box at Augusta National Golf Course).
“To say I was shocked when I showed up for my first class and saw the studio filled with floor looms would be an understatement,” Grandaw said. “I wondered what I had gotten myself into, and considered leaving.
“Fortunately, I stayed and became hooked on weaving. I wove my first sampler in the eight-week course, and I’ve been weaving ever since.”
Grandaw now has two floor looms at her home. And she still has never weaved on a lap loom.
This spring, Milwaukee Recreation is offering several weaving courses at the ABK Weaving Center, including Weaving Basics and Beyond, Exploring Overshot, Tapestry Weaving, and Weaving Beginner Basics, the class that launched Grandaw’s weaving journey.
Grandaw is excited to promote some of the ABK Weaving Center’s additional fiber arts courses as well, such as Kids Knitting, Not Your Grandma’s Knitting, Drop Spin, Beginning Quilling, and Intro to Bobbin Lace. “I think that by offering a variety of classes, we will be able to keep the curriculum interesting so ABK can be a creative resource for other areas of weaving and weaving-related practices.”
Prior to moving into the director role in January, Grandaw served on the ABK Board of Directors, most recently as the board secretary.
“I’m really excited to have Carole as the new director of ABK,” Julie McLaren, Milwaukee Recreation’s supervisor at Gaenslen Community Center, said. “She has great experience, having taken classes herself and served on the ABK Board. Carole brings a fresh perspective and a lot of enthusiasm to the position.”
As McLaren alluded to, Grandaw is already diving into the job headfirst. Her goals include more one- or two-session workshops and additional fiber arts opportunities. “I want to continue to introduce new weavers to the art so that ABK has a body of weavers constantly creating new and different projects. I envision the weaving studio as a place where weavers can display their [projects] … and be inspired by other’s work.”