Entangled Threads was a community art project taking place in Schenectady, NY July through August 2024. It was created to to engage the community through art, conversation and education. Taking a cue from the mycorrhizal fungi that inspired this project, our aim was to connect members of the community to one another and to our planet. Through a film screening of Fantastic Fungi, a knowledge share about foraging, cooking and growing mushrooms and free fiber art workshops I wanted people to learn about the land, to understand more of the ecology of fungi, how they knit together our ecosystems, how the earth is habitable because of their role in the environment and how they are critical in addressing climate change and living more sustainably on our planet. To protect our environment, we have to care about it, to understand it and that only comes from education and experience. This program connected people with not only each other but also with our living planet.
Entangled Threads will culminate in a collaborative community sculpture I call a “Living Log”. The sculpture will be filled with work created during our free fiber art workshops through a variety of techniques such as wet felting, needle felting and latch hooking. The sculpture will display the host of fungi, mosses and lichens that surround us every day and help form our interconnected ecosystem.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
Pictured Left: Complete Living Log from “Entangled Threads” 2024
Entangled Threads was made possible by an Arts Thrive and Grow Community Art Grant. Arts Thrive and Grow has been funded by New York State, Kathy Hochul, Governor. We thank Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins for her extraordinary commitment and leadership, and our elected officials who represent our grantmaking region: Senators Jake Ashby and Neil D. Breslin; Assemblymembers Scott H. Bendett, Patricia Fahy, John T. McDonald III, Angelo Santabarbara, Phil Steck, and Mary Beth Walsh.
“The Entangled Threads program was a wonderful opportunity to gather together people throughout the community. It was great to learn how to felt the different mushrooms and learn about their horticulture. Mallory is the best teacher - so creative and inspiring! Thank you for bringing this opportunity to the community!” -Sally Wiggand
“AMAZING….don’t miss out! Come see the mushroom laden log we ALL made and contributed to! So much FUN! Thanks Mallory” - Carol Rudowsky
“Entangled Threads was such an experience on multiple levels for mew as a participant and will be a special contribution to our community! Thank you so much Mallory for sharing your passion for connecting threads artistically and your ability to help connections in our own community near and far. ” - Lynn Fogarty
Sources for Fiber & Fungi
Growing
Foraging
Mid-Hudson mycological society
Reading
Entangled Life - Merlin Sheldrake
Finding the Mother Tree - Suzanne Simard
Gathering Moss - Robin Wall Kimmerer
The Lives of Lichen- Robert Lucking, Tony Spribille
Lichen Museum - Laurie A. Palmer
Fibers
Dhgshop : fibers and tools
Lyman’s Sleighbell farm : local source for felting fiber
CeCe’s wool : local spot for felting needles and fiber
Green Mountain Yarn & Fiber : kits and fiber for needle felting
Living Felt Supply : kits and tools for felting
Morezmore : felting needles
Come Learn about Entangled Threads at the Schenectady GreenMarket!
Mallory will demonstrate felting techniques and bring the “Living Log.” This collaborative community sculpture features a host of fungi, mosses and lichens that surround us every day and help form our interconnected ecosystem. It was made with the community this summer in Schenectady.
Come to Arthur’s Market for their special Evening Hours and for the closing event of Entangled Threads. Try a BLT made with MyBacon, a vegan bacon made out of the mycelium and produced by MyForest Foods in Troy and see the finished “Living Log”, a fiber sculpture created by the community representing the magical world of fungi that plays an integral role in our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
The closing event will not only unveil the Living Log but will feature a knowledge share of resources and information on how to get more involved with fungi through local foraging, cooking, growing your own mushrooms, diving into the science of fungi through excerpts of Merlin Sheldrake’s “Entangled Life” and more!
Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting during this free, three hour workshop at C.R.E.A.T.E studios in Schenectady, NY. You will learn how to work with wool, water, soap and your own to hands to form and sculpt wool into a felted morel mushroom.
Work created during this free workshop will be donated to the “Living Log” a community created fiber sculpture detailing the magical organisms that populate the forest floor and felt together our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
There will be a chance to take your work back at the conclusion of the program if you wish, but we hope if you participate you will choose to leave your work to become a permanent part of this sculpture.
Learn how to sculpt with wool through the art of needle felting. During this two and half hour free workshop you will learn how to work with wool to create a small sculpted form and how to use needle felting tools to paint with the wool and turn them into into some fantastic fungi like turkey tail mushrooms!
Work created during this free workshop will be donated to the “Living Log” a community created fiber sculpture detailing the magical organisms that populate the forest floor and felt together our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
There will be a chance to take your work back at the conclusion of the program if you wish, but we hope if you participate you will choose to leave your work to become a permanent part of this sculpture.
Learn the ancient and awesome art of wet felting during this free, three hour workshop at C.R.E.A.T.E studios in Schenectady, NY. You will learn how to work with wool, water, soap and your own to hands to form and sculpt wool into a felted oyster mushroom.
Work created during this free workshop will be donated to the “Living Log” a community created fiber sculpture detailing the magical organisms that populate the forest floor and felt together our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
There will be a chance to take your work back at the conclusion of the program if you wish, but we hope if you participate you will choose to leave your work to become a permanent part of this sculpture.
Learn how to sculpt with wool through that art of needle felting. During this two and half hour free workshop you will learn how to work with wire to create an armature, how to cover it with wool, how to use the tools to form the wool into some fantastic fungi and finally how to mix and blend colors to bring your wooly mushroom to life!
Work created during this free workshop will be donated to the “Living Log” a community created fiber sculpture detailing the magical organisms that populate the forest floor and felt together our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
There will be a chance to take your work back at the conclusion of the program if you wish, but we hope if you participate you will choose to leave your work to become a permanent part of this sculpture.
Come to Arthur’s Market for a special screening of the film, “Fantastic Fungi” during Arthur’s special evening hours. Try a BLT made with MyBacon, a vegan bacon made out of the mycelium and produced by MyForest Foods in Troy and learn about the magic of the fungi kingdom and our special community art project, Entangled Threads.
Fantastic Fungi is the hit film phenomenon that started it all. Louie Schwartzberg’s consciousness-shifting film is an immersive journey through time and scale into the magical earth beneath our feet. Experience the captivating world of fungi—from mushrooms that clear oil spills to underground fungal networks that help trees communicate—through the lens of Schwartzberg’s acclaimed time-lapse photography and awaken to the awe-inspiring power of mushrooms to heal, protect, and transform.
The outdoor film screening of Fantastic Fungi will start at 8pm
Explore and learn the meditative art of latch hooking during this two and half hour free workshop in Central Park, Schenectady, NY in partnership with the Schoharie River Center. Using your hands and a crochet hook you will learn how to create a rug style textile and create a textured piece of art reminiscent of a mossy patch of forest floor using all natural fibers and yarns, some hand and naturally dyed.
Work created during this free workshop will be donated to the “Living Log” a community created fiber sculpture detailing the magical organisms that populate the forest floor and felt together our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
There will be a chance to take your work back at the conclusion of the program if you wish, but we hope if you participate you will choose to leave your work to become a permanent part of this sculpture.
Learn how to sculpt with wool through the art of needle felting. During this two and half hour free workshop you will learn how to work with wire to create an armature, how to cover it with wool, how to use the tools to form the wool into some fantastic fungi and finally how to mix and blend colors to bring your wooly mushroom to life!
Work created during this free workshop will be donated to the “Living Log” a community created fiber sculpture detailing the magical organisms that populate the forest floor and felt together our ecosystems.
The sculpture will be donated to the coming Schenectady Environmental Education Center (SEEC) in Central Park, Schenectady, NY.
There will be a chance to take your work back at the conclusion of the program if you wish, but we hope if you participate you will choose to leave your work to become a permanent part of this sculpture.
Adventure around the Schenectady Stockade to “forage” for the fiber fungi that has cropped up at local businesses! Collect a stamp from each participating establishment and bring your full card to Arthur’s Market to receive a free coffee!
Participating businesses include
Sweet Sprig
Mohawk Valley Art Shop
Schenectady Historical Society
Stella’s Pasta Bar
Beck’s Salon
Arthur’s Market
