Evergreen Opens First-of-Its-Kind Fiber Arts Studio

Evergreen’s new Fiber Arts Studio was completed in September and is the second building on campus devoted entirely to the indigenous arts. The building is part of Evergreen’s ongoing mission—along with the Longhouse Education and Cultural Center—to serve as a gathering place for people of all cultures.

Designed by Mãori sculptor Lyonel Grant, in collaboration with Longhouse architect Johnpaul Jones (Choctaw), the building is the first of its kind, combining hand-carved tribal designs from the Pacific Northwest and South Pacific.

The studio’s curved roof refers to the keel line of a canoe, and represents different cultures encountering each other across the Pacific.

The Fiber Arts Studio will be an effective resource for fostering indigenous art-making on campus; Evergreen is now able to offer academic classes in the studio, as well as host artist residencies to promote indigenous arts and cultures around the Pacific Rim.

“This studio will be a place for all people,” faculty Alex McCarty ’00, MiT ’02 said during its construction. “That’s no small goal.”