Press Release:
SAORI ARTS NYC IS NOW INTERTWINE ARTS
Name change positions eight-year-old weaving arts nonprofit
serving people with disabilities or chronic illness for long-term growth
NEW YORK, March 6, 2023 – SAORI ARTS NYC, a weaving nonprofit organization for people with disabilities and chronic illness, today announced it will change its name to Intertwine Arts™. The new name, logo and tagline honor the organization's specialized expertise in free-style weaving and better reflect the evolving nature of its programming.
SAORI Arts NYC was founded in 2015 to bring the unique philosophy of SAORI weaving to people with developmental, physical or mental disabilities or chronic illness, as well as to their families and caregivers. The philosophy is grounded in the belief that everyone can enjoy self-discovery and individual creativity when there are no predetermined expectations and no so-called mistakes.
“Our new name, fresh and modern logo, color palette and tagline, ‘Weaving for Everyone,’ better reflect the dynamic organization we’ve become and our outlook for the future – a commitment to reach even more people of every background and ability whose lives can be enriched by the sense of fulfillment that comes from interacting with our teaching artists and making art,” said Ria Hawks, president and co-founder, and retired pediatric nurse practitioner.
At the time of its founding, Intertwine Arts focused exclusively on the SAORI philosophy. Five years into its existence, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced program participants to isolate, the founders pivoted to offering classes remotely. As a result, it developed new modalities of fiber arts that transcend SAORI loom weaving, such as circle weaving on paper plates.
“For three of our eight years, we’ve faced the impact of a global pandemic,” said Hawks. “In true silver lining fashion, evolving our model to serve program participants in a myriad of locations opened exciting new opportunities for us to make a difference.”
Interwine Arts’ work is still inspired by SAORI principles and its mission remains the same: to inspire creativity, joy, and self-confidence through free-style weaving.
The nonprofit’s more than 15 teaching artists held 702 workshops for more than 3,000 participants in a wide variety of settings. In the nearly 1,500 hours of classes, weavers used about 300 miles of yarn - enough to stretch from New York to Richmond - with a recent single yarn purchase containing nearly a mile of yarn.
Intertwine Arts will continue to partner with local organizations, including The New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, Sister Pat’s Kid’s Camp, AHRC NYC, Institutes of Applied Human Dynamics, HeartShare Human Services of New York, Barrier Free Living, The Creative Center at the University Settlement, Extreme Kids & Crew, The Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library and Armed Services Arts Partnership.
“For those with disabilities or chronic illness, we offer an opportunity to create and engage with others, and it gives them pride and a sense of fulfillment. A lot of things in their life are not in their control but art is something they can control,” said Hawks. “Many pediatric patients, who are in treatment for cancer or sickle cell disease, have to wait an hour or more to see their doctor. They can play with their electronic devices but it’s rather isolating, so we inspire and encourage them to make something, to let the time pass in a pleasant way as opposed to being anxious.”
The workshops are available in-person, virtually or hybrid, where the loom and yarns are sent to program participants. The circle weaving kits come with instructions in English and Spanish, paper plates, balls of different colored and textured yarns, and, sometimes, scissors. For its woven jewelry-making classes, it includes earring findings, necklace cords and ring blanks. To view a sampling of weaving projects, click the button below.
About Intertwine Arts
Intertwine Arts is a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to inspire creativity, joy, and self-confidence through free-form weaving for people with disabilities or chronic illness.
It partners with more than a dozen organizations throughout the five boroughs of New York City and the metro region, providing accessible programs and services for people of all ages and abilities to engage in visual and tactile exploration and create unique weavings. For more information, to volunteer or donate, visit: www.intertwinearts.org.
Media Contact:
Marcia Kublanow
Intertwine Arts
914-715-4415
marcia@intertwinearts.org