This fall, a tree on 7th Avenue in Rock Island will become even more colorful than usual. The Augustana Teaching Museum of Art has received a federal grant to do a yarn-bombing project.
Director, Dr. Claire Kovacs, says yarn-bombing is a form of street art. Artists covers surfaces of objects to draw your attention to it and give you a different perspective. It can be done anonymously at night, or with an organized group.
The $15,000 is the first National Endowment for the Arts grant the college has ever received. And Kovacs' goal is for lots of people from the community to come to two workshops and four "crochet-ins" to make the many circles that will be assembled and placed on the tree.
At the workshops, participants will learn how to crochet. The first will be held Monday (8/28/17) from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. in the Gerber Center (Gavle 3) at Augustana in Rock Island. The second is set for Tuesday from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. Then in September and October, participants -- also known as "hookers" since crocheting is done with a hook -- will have four opportunities to make the colorful circles together.
The project includes artist, Carol Hummel, who will come to the Quad Cities to help with the project. The yarn-bombed tree will be unveiled in late October, and the public art installation will be on display for seven months.
