The Fabric Workshop and Museum Will Use Facilities and Staff to Create and Donate Masks to Assist in Citywide COVID-19 Response
In support of its constituents and the greater Philadelphia community that it serves, The Fabric Workshop and Museum has announced that its Studio Team of fabricators and other FWM employees will now be dedicated to producing masks and other useful equipment for hospitals and others in need in an effort to aid response to the COVID-19 Virus.
“We feel strongly about serving our community while we’re apart and have committed a portion of our work week to efforts that will help combat the spread of COVID-19 while reflecting our core values of collaboration and experimentation,” says Executive Director Christina Vassallo. “We are proud to deploy the efforts of such a talented staff around this important work being performed remotely, including donating personal protective equipment from our Studio to local hospitals, and exploring our capacity to 3D-print face shields and sew face masks for frontline healthcare workers.”
As the research and design process is in development, and being performed in accordance with ever-evolving guidelines set by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, FWM is currently unable to quantify the most in-demand items it will produce, but will regularly update the community on their progress. FWM leadership is working in partnership with a group of volunteers from local medical schools who will distribute the materials to appropriate recipients.
About The Fabric Workshop and Museum
Founded in 1977, FWM both makes and presents, encouraging artists to experiment with new materials and new media in a veritable living laboratory. Through its renowned Artist-in-Residence (AIR) Program, FWM collaborates with artists to expand their practices, while documenting the course of artistic production from inspiration to realization. FWM presents large scale exhibitions, installations, and performative works, utilizing innovative fiber and other media. Today, FWM is the only US institution devoted to creating work in textile and new media in collaboration with some of the most significant artists of our time.
Major support of FWM is provided by the Marion Boulton “Kippy” Stroud Foundation. FWM receives state art funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Additional support is provided by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Agnes Gund, and the Board of Directors and Members of The Fabric Workshop and Museum.
Contact: David Simantov