Cami Smith
| Out & About

Out & About is our monthly blog series that takes a closer look at communities where fiber art brings people together. From local meetups to virtual gatherings, we highlight how artists share skills, spark ideas, and build lasting connections.

This month, we’re shining a light on the creative spirit of Contemporary Craft. We hope their story inspires you to connect, create, or start a fiber circle of your own.

Contemporary Craft has been a fixture in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s creative landscape for more than 50 years. What began in 1971 as The Store for Art and Craft and People-Made Things, founded by Elizabeth “Betty” Raphael, quickly evolved into a community hub, hosting fiber workshops, exhibitions, and more. Today, Contemporary Craft includes exhibition galleries, artist residencies, a retail store, and studios for metals, wood, and fiber arts.

In recent years, the fibers program has blossomed, especially around weaving. What started with just two looms and a shared dream quickly became a full-blown weaving program. When artist and weaver Jamie Boyle returned to Pittsburgh from New York City and joined Contemporary Craft as an artist-in-residence, she found a budding community and space to grow. She and program director Allison Jones imagined offering classes and within four months, with an outpouring of donated looms and tools, that vision became a reality.

From this momentum, LOOM CLUB was born. It began as a call for volunteers to refurbish looms—scrubbing rust in summer heat with vinegar and steel wool—but it has grown into something far more meaningful. Today, LOOM CLUB helps maintain a fleet of 15 floor looms and five table looms. But more importantly, it fosters friendship, shared learning, and a strong sense of purpose. As one member put it, “Even if someone joins with no weaving experience, they bring their own kind of knowledge, and we learn from each other.”

In March 2024, Contemporary Craft expanded into a second building—Timmons Studios—dedicated to education and the creative community. The new facility includes a wood shop, a papermaking studio, a dye lab, and the Fleischner Family Fibers Loft. With this expansion, the fibers program now supports weaving, spinning, basketry, broom making, sewing, and more, creating space for longtime artists and curious newcomers alike.

Studio traditions help people feel connected, from the annual 12-hour Weave-a-thon fundraiser to “Ceremonial Scissors,” where finished pieces are cut from the loom with giant ribbon-cutting scissors and a cheer. One young visitor, the four-year-old son of a LOOM CLUB member, simply calls Contemporary Craft “the weaving place.”

Contemporary Craft also collaborates with Creative Citizens Studios to offer inclusive programming for neurodiverse artists. Weekly workshops offer time, space, and support for creative expression—from weaving and fabric collage to fashion design.

What’s the secret to such a thriving community? “Talk and listen to each other. Laugh a lot. Be open to learning together,” one member shared. A new studio motto sums it up well: If we have to clamp the warp beam, we might be turning it the wrong way.

With big dreams and a down-to-earth spirit, Contemporary Craft’s fiber community continues to grow—one loom, one laugh, and one shared moment at a time.

Make sure to check out their Website: https://contemporarycraft.org/

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