A community art project is setting up in Joshua Tree for the entire month of March starting on Friday. The Giant Loom aims to celebrate and highlight local organizations that assist those in need.
Hot off the heels of his successful RustFest event, local sculptor Ben Allanoff is hosting a free community art project called The Giant Loom that celebrates local organizations that help others.
On Friday, March 8, The Giant Loom will be in Joshua Tree at 61627 Twentynine Palms Highway on the south side of Highway 62, between Sunset and Hillcrest, next to the Laundromat. Locals and visitors are invited to write messages on bits of fabric and then weave those thoughts and intentions into the 15-foot loom from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
“People get to say whatever is on their mind. And it seems to create some kind of meaning when it is fluttering in the wind in a public place. It’s kind of like a shrine, it’s kind of like an altar, but it’s not religious and it’s not dedicated to any particular issue. It’s dedicated to people helping other people and communicating what’s important to them,” says Allonoff.
The weaving will continue every Saturday morning in the month of March, in conjunction with and alongside the Joshua Tree Farmers Market. Allanoff says that the project’s purpose is to allow for creative connection while highlighting the work of three local organizations that assists others, namely: Reach Out Morongo Basin (helping the disabled), Valley Star Community Services One-Stop TAY Center (assisting homeless youth), and The Morongo Basin Conservation Association (environmental and housing issues).
Representatives from the organizations will be at the Friday event and the Saturday Farmers’ Market, to share info, answer questions and recruit volunteers.
The Giant Loom received grant funding from the Inland SoCal Creative Corps, which is partially funded by the California Arts Council.
For more info, contact Ben Allanoff at (310)908-5505 or [email protected]
“It’s a tool for connection and creativity, that’s what the giant loom is,” says Allanoff.
