Through organized production goals that focus on quality, design and sustainability, students develop an understanding of the material while making products that can be enjoyed by the community. There are opportunities on the Crew to learn other fiber skills such as spinning, felting, sewing, dyeing, and basketry. All of these learned skills can be applied to other areas of academic study as well as community engagement.

纤维艺术团队使用农场绵羊的羊毛纺成自己的纱线，并开辟了一个染色园来染色纱线。此外，Crew成员通过出售他们的工艺品了解艺术和工作之间的交叉。Read more about the dye garden.

The Fiber Arts Crew is also affiliated with theCraft Minor.

My time on Fiber Arts not only taught me how to weave, sew, spin, and dye, but it also taught me the importance of intention and tradition. I cherish my work here because I work with my hands and create cloth and feel connected to the history of weavers in Appalachia and at Warren Wilson College. When my classes and life feel hectic, I love sitting at the loom and taking time to make something in a slow, intentional, and often unappreciated way. I also love working with a community of weavers both on the crew and outside of the College. There’s something really remarkable about coming into the studio in the morning and hearing the beat of several looms and the hum of sewing machines. The Work Program – and the Fiber Arts Crew in particular – is the most special part of Warren Wilson.

Ella Conder

Fiber Arts Crew - Shuttles

Supervisor Spotlight

Melanie Wilder

梅兰妮·怀尔德拥有专业纤维工艺学位，在过去的20年里，她一直致力于学习和教授她所热爱的纤维技术，并教授给各个年龄层的人。她的兴趣在于探索过程如何融入我们的日常生活，以及有意识的选择如何帮助塑造我们在未来的足迹。她喜欢用天然染料和当地材料制作纺织品，这些纺织品可以用于日常仪式，并改善我们的日常体验。她着迷于世界各地的历史用途和纤维技术，以及我们使用这些信息的背景，因为我们作为当代织工和制造者向前发展，她希望激励那些与她一起工作的人在纤维世界中找到他们的声音。

making fabric

Explore the Crew

Hear directly from students about what it’s like to be a member of the Fiber Arts Crew.

Learning Outcomes

You’ll spend years working alongside your peers and mentored by supervisors. Part of the experience of work at Warren Wilson is guided critical reflection, which helps ensure that you achieve both your own educational goals as well as our Common Learning Outcomes. These intentional learning outcomes distinguish our work program, giving it focus and relevancy that set it apart from federal work study or your average part-time job. Specifically, our Common Learning Outcomes are:

  • Dependability:reliability, accountability, and the ability to successfully manage your time
  • Integrity:trustworthiness and respect for transparent honesty
  • Initiative:self-control, the ability to evaluate situations, and motivation to carry out responsibilities
  • Analytical Thinking:working with available resources to creatively address issues and solve problems
  • Communication:the ability to convey information effectively and build community with others
  • Collaboration:collaborate with peers to achieve common goals
  • Appreciation of the Value of All Work:an understanding of your place in the working world, and a respect for the dignity of all work

Learning and Performance Goals

In addition to our Common Learning Outcomes, each crew in the Work Program identifies crew-specific goals for learning and performance. These are reviewed with you each semester. The Learning and Performance Goals outline skills and abilities the supervisor will teach during the semester.

Fiber Arts Crew - tools