ART HERITAGE Michigan celebrates history of handweaving

The state's textile industry faded but not the interest in weaving.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
We may not think of Michigan as a center for handweaving, but indeed this state has a rich heritage in that art. The current exhibit at the Michigan State University Museum in East Lansing, called "Fascination with Fiber," traces the interesting history. It runs through Dec. 30.
To understand the beginnings, consider that many rural areas of the state were settled by Europeans with weaving skills. Entire families raised sheep for wool and flax for linen. They spun yarn and wove cloth for household items, and at the exhibit you can see some examples that survived from the 1840s.
The legacy
In the mid-1800s, with the advent of the industrial revolution, Michigan had 39 textile mills. By the early 1900s, wool production, along with related industries, ranked third in the country. Wool was carded, spun and woven into affordable fabrics.
Then, as with the textile mills of New England, Michigan factories began to close. After World War II, the growth of imports added to the demise of the state's textile industry, but interest in weaving did not fade. It cropped up in other ways and other places.
Preserving the technique
During the 1930s and '40s, Hartland became one of the largest handweaving centers on the continent. In 1959, the Michigan League of Handweavers was started there. Near Niles, a nature center called Fernwood was also an active hub for prominent weavers from all over the world. Weaving as an art form developed at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, led by the architect's wife, Swedish-born Loja Saarinen.
Innovative work by instructors Marianne Strengell and Robert Sailors was aimed at home interiors and the auto industry. They encouraged students to try new ideas and designs, and the MSU exhibit showcases some of the best contemporary work.