CRESTONE — Kathy Strathearn’s weavings will be on display at the Shumei Gallery in Crestone for the month of September. A symposium with Kathy will be held on Sunday, September 16th starting a 3 p.m. A reception will follow.

Weaving is Kathy Strathearn’s passion. She began weaving in the summer of 2001 in the small northern New Mexico town of Los Ojos. She says, “My greatest influence comes Navajo weaving designs as you can see in many of my Rio Grande weavings.  Both styles can have designs that range from simple stripes to very complicated and intricate designs. My teachings come from master weavers on the Navajo Indian Reservation as well as Northern New Mexico.”

She weaves Navajo style weavings, but in reverence to her Navajo friends and teachers they are not for sale. She has traded a few of these weavings with her Navajo friends for silver jewelry and other Navajo weavings. Kathy feels blessed to have these special people in her life. She loves learning about their culture and the spiritual beliefs. She has been honored to be invited to attend sacred ceremonies, these memories she treasures.

Weaving is a spiritual process. The parts of the loom represent the four sacred directions, rain, thunder, Mother Earth and Father Sky. The most obvious one is the warp, which represents the sacred rain. There are songs to be sung during the weaving process. One is to never weave in anger because it places bad vibes into the weaving. Only good vibes are woven into Kathy’s weavings. The tools are to be respected and cared for, for they help with the creation. 

“I pride myself in using Churro sheep wool in all of my weavings. I prefer this wool as it is soft, strong and traditional. With fewer and fewer Rio Grande weavers, it is my desire to help keep this art form alive as well as decorate the homes of those who find my handwoven tapestries appealing.”

Kathy enjoys creating her weavings in her casita studio. It is a place of peace and tranquility. Along with her large Rio Grande loom, she has many sizes of Navajo looms and an extensive yarn stash. She is a member of the Crestone Artisan’s Gallery, Crestone Creative District and Crestone Artists.

Come meet Kathy and learn more about her work on Sunday September 16th from 3-5 p.m. This event is free to the public, please visit www.shumeicrestone.org or call 256-5284 for more information. The Shumei gallery is open every day 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.