Carol Berry

I am a compulsive maker and thread is my favorite medium. I studied weaving in the 1970’s, then took a long side trip into jewelry making and beadwork. In 2009, I was determined to weave again, borrowed a folding Dorset loom from a friend, and rented time on a loom at my local yarn shop. I visited Joanne Hall in her Montana studio in 2010, and ordered a Glimakra Julia loom with eight shafts and eight treadles. The next year, I spent a week at the Weaver’s School, learning from Madelyn van der Hoogt. Paul and I camped on Whidbey Island. He dropped me off every morning, and spent each day reading and shooting photographs, while I was in weaver’s bliss.

Now I have a Glimakra Standard with drawloom attachment, a second Julia, with four shafts, and a Swedish band loom. The traditional Swedish looms require only human power to operate, are sustainably manufactured, ergonomically comfortable, and made to last for generations.
I joined the Whatcom Weavers guild, and weave as much as I can with a full-time job. The weaving portfolio shows my completed towels, scarves and yardage, and work in progress. I have a lot to learn, and love to share the joy of color and texture, making and learning through these photos and the patterns and ideas in my books. The cloth of everyday life should be beautiful and useful.

When I taught jewelry making and beadwork, my objective was not just that the participants would leave with a finished project, but that they would know how to use the tools and materials and have the confidence to solve design and construction problems beyond the workshop. I feel powerfully that the arts are essential to the ability to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Books
18 towels on Four Warps is 24 full-color pages of photos, drafts and project guides for turned twill designs on eight shafts. It is available by single copy for $20, or in wholesale quantities. Contact me for a PDF preview.

Featured guest artist in “The Complete Photo Guide to Beading”, by Robin Atkins.

Carol Berry – Resume
Artist, Handweaver,
Campus Conservation & Sustainable Transportation Program Manager,
Western Washington University

Experience
2012 – Bellingham Textile Recycling Project Steering Committee
2012 – Sustainability Education Summer Institute, Community Weaving Project & Seminar Leader
2011-2012 – City of Bellingham Pedestrian Master Plan Steering committee
2010-2011 – City of Bellingham Transportation Commission
2010 – Present – WWU Office of Sustainability Program Manager
2007 – Present – WWU Student Transportation Program Manager
2000 – Present – Community Transportation Advisory Group, Whatcom Council of Governments
1999 – 2010 – City of Bellingham Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory committee
1999 – Present – Employee Transportation Program Manager
1995-1999 – Traffic Guide, WWU Visitor Information Center, Parking Services
1979 – Present – Fine and Applied Arts practice, exhibitions and teaching

Education
2012 – Textile Conservation, Western Washington University Extended Education
2011 – Intensive Weaving Workshop, The Weaver’s School, Coupeville, WA
2010 – Weaving Workshop, Elkhorn Mountain Weaving Studio, Clancy, MT
2010 – Intro to Anthropology, Western Washington University
2006, 2007 – Community-Based Social Marketing, Doug McKenzie-Mohr
2003 – Walk 21, International Pedestrian Conference, Portland, OR.
2001-2011 – Annual Washington State Rideshare Organization Workshops
1981-82 – Edmonds Community College, specialized study in Metalsmithing and Jewelry design
1979 – BA, Scripps College, Claremont, CA. Liberal Arts, Fine Arts Concentration

Selected Awards, Exhibitions, Collections
2009 – “Brower & Berry” One of One Gallery, Bellingham, WA
2006 – Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
2005 – 33rd Annual Photography Exhibit, Larson Gallery, Yakima, WA – Award
2002 – Governor’s Smart Trips Award for WWU Commute Trip Reduction Program
1989 – Collection of the Tacoma Art Museum
1989 -“Craft Today USA,” International Traveling Exhibition, American Craft Museum
1988 – “Northwest Crafts 88” Tacoma Art Museum – Award

Gallery Affiliation, Memberships
Smith & Vallee Gallery, Edison, Washington
Whatcom Weavers Guild
Handweavers Guild of America