Since opening in June 2015, Praxis Fiber Workshop has been dedicated to supporting a vibrant community of fiber artists in Northeastern Ohio through educational programming and access to facilities. The full reach of our work and mission goes even further, bringing fiber artists from around the world to Cleveland to share their knowledge and techniques. Through classes, memberships, workshops, and partnerships with the Cleveland Institute of Art and countless other organizations, we engage over 1400 people per year with contemporary fiber art practices.

To celebrate Praxis’s fifth anniversary, we are raising funds to complete our Digital Weaving Lab with the purchase of a Thread Controller 2 (TC2) Digital Jacquard Loom. This specialized equipment allows the weaver the most intricate pattern and design capabilities in cloth. With the addition of the TC2, Praxis will be able to offer fiber artists of all levels with the most cutting-edge technology in our field.

As a center of fiber art education, it is our responsibility to showcase and make available the full spectrum of fiber art processes. The Praxis Digital Weaving Lab currently hosts three digital dobby looms, which are manually operated with computer assistance, but without a TC2 our offerings are incomplete. In fact, there is currently nowhere in North America outside of university fiber departments where a weaver can rent time on a TC2. Yet, because university fiber programs do have this equipment, generations of students are graduating with no facility in which to continue their explorations. By acquiring a TC2 and providing access not only to experienced practitioners but also emerging artists and recent graduates, Praxis will operate as a regional and national epicenter for fiber and textile innovation.

Opening the Digital Weaving Lab will allow Praxis to operate entirely on earned income. Revenue generated from artist residencies, classes, and individual rentals will help us sustain our staff and maintenance needs, as well as cast a supportive net for our main workshop and natural dye gardens. As an example, a digital weaving residency program at the Icelandic Textile Center recently purchased a TC2 loom and saw their residencies booked through 2021. While we can expect a small earnings margin with the equipment we currently have, a TC2 will greatly increase earnings, allowing us to ensure long-term operational sustainability.