Weaving a local success story here

Non-profit Cross Village artisan rug program looks to stay open through winter

By Kate Bassett
Harbor Light Newspaper

Stepping out of the car on a brisk morning in Cross Village recently, the surrounding silence was immediately noticeable. There were no other cars on Main Street. The lake was moving, but muted, in the distance. The vibrant sounds of summer were stilled for the year.

Yet there was a warm light coming from the windows of a building to the right. Cross Village Rug Works, a non-profit organization that took flight last spring, is still bustling with activity. Stepping inside its doors is like walking into the perfect winter hideaway: it is filled with the warmth of wool and rugs….and creative spirits coming alive.

With their first busy season behind them, the folks at Cross Village Rug Works have plenty of reasons to light up the town; 70 rugs and 19 special orders were sold, almost two dozen area residents—all of whom meet requirements based on the United States Census Bureau’s poverty guidelines—have been granted employment and artist apprenticeships, and the organization’s production director, Pam Keller, took home a first place ribbon for her punch needle rug at the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival, a nationally-known event that took place in Rhinebeck, New York.

“We obviously feel so blessed for the way Rug Works has been received and for the dedication and hard work our apprentices have put into making this place a reality,” said Karen Darnton, executive director. “The story of this organization is nothing short of amazing. When our board president, Cheryl Reed had the idea for Rug Works, it basically began with the words, ‘there is going to be this place…’ and now, here it is. And it is working.”

The way Rug Works was set up makes it a non-profit unlike most any other in the area. It was created to help revitalize a community by providing apprenticeships in rug creation—a life skill that those hired could use to support themselves while rarely having to leave their homes (an enormous benefit, especially, to mothers). In doing so, however, it also opened opportunities for local sheep farmers to sell their fleece (Rug Works only purchases regional-raised sheep wool). It gave a wool-processing farm in East Jordan a huge boost in business (all yarn is spun there). It provided another year-round artistic destination in Cross Village.

“We not only created a market, but we are supporting value-added agriculture. We are supporting local farmers, who in turn have more money to purchase more sheep, who will need to eat more hay, and who will hopefully be able to grow their own businesses as well. This is a community organization working to boost the local economy by building relationships and doing business on an entirely communitybased level.

“We could order yarn from China for $3, and the cost of doing business would be dramatically less for us. However, our mission is economic stability for our area, not just ourselves. We will spend the $15 for yarn because we know where it came from and we know the animals are treated well and that the environmental impact is minimal. These things matter to us,” Darnton said.

The task is, in some ways, daunting. As tremendously successful as the organization’s first summer was, the costs that come with being an entirely local business— especially one that provides 100-percent cost-free training to its wool dying and rug making apprentices—is large. Coming into the winter months, this fact is looming on the forefront of Darnton’s mind every day, she said.

“Our plan is to be completely financially self-sufficient in three years time, and I feel we can do that with the products we are producing here. However, getting through this first winter is going to be tough,” Darnton said. “We pay our artisans while they are creating the rugs, so that they will still get paychecks during the slow season. Due to the fact that we only had so many rugs to sell last summer, we will be basically donor-driven during the winter. In order to build our inventory, we will incur a lot of expense. We really need people to reach out with support right now.”

As everyone—at every level—is still being trained, Darnton added that the cost of doing business still far outweighs the profits. That will not, she noted, always be the case.

“Any donations are so very appreciated, and people are welcome to direct their gifts to education and training, wool purchases and processing, and so on. Ideally, we would love to put together a group of 10-20 people that would serve as our ‘shepherds’ during the next two years, folks who would be willing to make a sizable commitment to help us get to where we know we can go.”

Darnton also said Rug Works will be holding raffles each month for opportunities to win a rug. With beautiful hand-dyed yarn being sold now, as well as an increasingly re-stocked inventory, she said the store will remain open throughout the winter.

“Our artisans are also becoming increasingly creative with rug ideas. We’ve now started doing punch hook rugs based on children’s art—people can bring in a painting or drawing and we can reproduce it on a rug with incredible detail. It is really remarkable, and we’re offering it as a prize choice for raffle winners this winter,” she said.

Special orders, ranging from immortalizing beloved pets to cottage and boat replications, are booming, Darnton said.

“We built up such good energy this summer. The people who came in and saw the work our artisans have been doing were truly blown away by the talent. We’re staying open during the winter because we want to keep that momentum going, and also, because we want to help revitalize Cross Village. To do that, we need to be open year-round.”

Designer Pam Keller, whose punch hook rug of a pike brought first place honors and recognition to Rug Works, said she believes the organization’s success comes from the apprentices no longer simply viewing their work as a job. Instead, she said, they have been transformed into artists.

“I think any of our artisans could have won first place at Rhinebeck. I really do. The biggest blessing I’ve gotten from working here is to watch them gaining enthusiasm for their craft,” she said. “A lot of people who start here have no artistic background whatsoever, and when they realize they have these creative abilities inside, when they begin to feel proud of their work, well, that is an amazing thing to watch.

“Some of our artisans have never had something they could truly call their own, and in some ways I think that even more than the financial benefits, the real gift of Rug Works is giving that self esteem to people who need and deserve it.”

Keller added that she was thrilled to get to New York and meet people in the industry who had already heard positive things about Cross Village Rug Works. She said she was so inspired that Rug Works plans to host its very own wool festival in the summer of 2010.

“We’re working on plans for it now, and I think it will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase everyone’s talent.”

Adding that Three Pines Studio—an art gallery known for its diversity and workshops— was already in Cross Village, both Keller and Darnton said the addition of Rug Works only furthers the community’s standing as a spot for artists.

And during the holiday season, Darnton said their goal is to help children get into the fiber arts spirit, as Rug Works will hold a variety of donation- only workshops each weekend through Christmas. Last week, children made felt snakes. An upcoming workshop will provide materials and know-how to created felted dog toys.

“We’d love people to come up and have a look around and take advantage of our holiday workshops. You can call us to find out the schedules for each weekend,” she said.

Looking at the walls adorned with beautiful, handcrafted rugs, Darnton paused and smiled.

“What we are doing here, it is important work. We’re investing in people. We’re investing in our community and its future. That is something worth celebrating.”

Cross Village Rug Works will be open during the winter on Friday, Saturday, and Monday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, or to make a donation, call (231) 526-7849 or visit www.crossvillagerugworks.com.

This is part of the December 2, 2009 online edition of Harbor Light Newspaper.

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