Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Shulman
Hi Katie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Fiber Club* was founded as a means to seed a new creative community and create space in Southeast Michigan for artists to come together, share and connect. Our first meeting was held on October 4th, 2022.
While a few things have changed including where we meet (now at Spread Art, a creative incubator in Detroit) and how many people are on our mailing list (my first email was sent to about 30 people, we now communicate with nearly 600), most things have remained the same including the structure of our meetings and the mission of Fiber Club*.
Our meetings take place once a month and are open to anyone who would like to join. Each month, we share resources and give our community members the opportunity to announce the ways Fiber Club* can support their work (attending an upcoming show, signing up for a workshop, etc). Our favorite part of the meeting is what we affectionately call “Show & Tell”, a moment where community members can share their work. Artists have used their 15 minutes to ask for feedback, rehearse talks, practice teaching and facilitate experiments.
Fiber Club* is a community of artists and creative practitioners in the Detroit metro area who bring together people of all backgrounds, identities and ages who share curiosity and passion.
Southeast Michigan is filled with individuals who are eager to share their creative work: with one another and with a wider audience. Fiber Club*’s mission is to create opportunities for the passionate, dedicated and generous members of the network.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our greatest challenge comes from our greatest success: Fiber Club*’s community has blossomed and exponentially grown in the past few years.
We find ourselves asking this question: how can we plan for the sustainability of the group in order to support the increasing growth of our mighty network?
Welcomed interest from the broader arts community in Southeast Michigan has brought incredible opportunities to the network and also a clear need for resources to support the administration of these opportunities.
Fiber Club* aims to create a supportive infrastructure with staying power. The generous and generative creative community in Detroit and Southeast Michigan deserves the spotlight, how might we create one that can shine with strength for many years to come?
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Over the past two and a half years Fiber Club* has organized a number of group shows and partnered with local organizations and institutions to offer community-based programs and opportunities. Below are a few highlights:
In September, 2023, Fiber Club* presented it’s first group show, Mending the Net, as part of Detroit Month of Design. The show followed the ethos of inclusion. Not only did all our members have the opportunity to participate in the show, but by positioning the exhibition as part of Detroit Month of Design, we invited the city to learn about Fiber Club*, creating a new access point for the wider community to engage with a diverse array of creative practices and to learn more about art and design that is grounded in fiber and textile-based art forms both traditional and contemporary. For more information: https://www.fiberclubdetroit.org/fiber-club-mending-the-net-group-show-1
In September, 2024, Fiber Club* collaborated with artist Lisa Waud and arts writer Sarah Rose Sharp to present Environment + Microclimates during Detroit Month of Design. E+M was an immersive art experience showcasing environmental- and fiber-based art highlighting the work of over 75 artists and offering a series of community based programs that were free and open to the public. For more information: http://fiberclubdetroit.org/environment-microclimates
In December 2024, Fiber Club* presented Common Thread at the Taubman Center Gallery at UM Health in Ann Arbor, MI. The exhibition, curated by member Riley Klein, encompassed the work of over 30 artists and aimed to spark creativity, inspire hopefulness, and promote outlets of making through fiber. The breadth of the exhibit demonstrated a shared interest in materiality, craft, and process-driven work which Fiber Club* found was particularly inspiring within a space of care.
Coming up in April, Material Motives, curated by Jessica Paruch, opens at the Ferndale Area District Library. Fiber Club* is excited to present this contemporary fine art exhibition that explores innovative uses of textile techniques and the intentional choices behind material selection. For more information: https://www.fiberclubdetroit.org/call-for-entry-material-motives.
The next Fiber Club* meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 15th at 6:00pm at Spread Art, please join us!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
We are grateful to have been guests on a few fantastic podcasts to talk about Fiber Club*. Special shout out and thanks to The Metro at WDET, A Little Too Quiet: The Ferndale Library Podcast and the Artist/Mother Podcast for talking to us!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fiberclubdetroit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fiberclubdetroit/
- Other: https://fiberclub.substack.com/?utm_campaign=button_list_FiberClubSubstack&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=later-linkinbio
