AnnetteStampingAnnette Rubino-Buckley helping youth with stamping their bandanas.The Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Collective (SWFAC) recently participated in the Silver City Public Library's summer program with two outreach activities for youth.

Part of SWFAC's mission is to share fiber art skills with youth.

On June 20, 2024, Annette Rubino-Buckley led a bandana painting activity that included tassel flower making. Youth and their parents were able to paint and stamp a blank bandana to take home. Helpers included Vicki Gadberry, Tina Salmon, Blythe Whiteley and Charmeine Wait. "It was a lot of fun", states Annette Rubino-Buckley. "I made potato stamps and we had wood stamps too, that the youth used in addition to painting their bandanas."

ShannonPuppetMakeShannon Curry helping a table of puppet makersOn June 27, 2024, Shannon Curry led a puppet making activity. Youth and parents were able to make sock puppets and a stage was available so they could create a puppet show. Helpers included Esther Dolphin, Chrys Masuda, Blythe Whiteley, Colette Kelly, Charmeine Wait and Leah Klearman. Shannon Curry states, "I had an 8ish year-old boy come up to me afterwards with his puppet. He created a set of headphones over his puppet's imaginary ears. His puppet got in my face and yelled, "I can't hear you! What did you say? Can you talk louder?" If you know me being loud is not a problem for me so the irony was wonderful.  He had me belly laughing from this little exchange. A great example of a Shared Joy Moment that had me chuckling all the way home."

PuppeteersPuppet helpers with their puppetsMembers of SWFAC make many types of fiber art encompassing the manual manipulation of a variety of fibers by weaving, knitting, crocheting, sewing, quilting, basket making, and paper making to name a few of the techniques.

SWFAC was founded in 2005 and is a local, all volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the economic development goal to stimulate and support successful cottage industry in the southwest. Both novice and skilled SWFAC artists enrich the community by nurturing and empowering one another fostering opportunities to gain new experience, expand talent and earn income from their art. Please visit SWFAC's website at www.fiberartscollective.org  to learn more about the organization.