Ewe are never too old to learn something new … just look at me, discovering fiber arts after years of thinking I wasn’t creative! At Bear Creek Felting, we are motivated by our mission to create, thrive, and honor our animal friends, as well as Nome’s unique history and culture.
As you may know if you’ve been following us for a while, we have restored the old Nome Schoolhouse. It is now an event venue, historic site, and most importantly, a creative educational center. We are all about connecting people with both their history and their future… as well as with nature and the remarkable traditions of the fiber arts!
To fulfill our mission of celebrating shepherds, spinners, artists, and our vibrant rural community, we have officially established the nonprofit leg of Bear Creek Felting.
Introducing …. Nome Eweniversity! This organization includes all our classes and retreats at the schoolhouse, as well as a general creative space and entertainment venue. Our goal is to educate visitors about fiber processing and the textile industry, needle felting and other fiber arts, and how we care for our cherished flocks.
Plus, we have tours of our mill where we turn wool into roving, yarn, and felt, so people can understand the process and learn more about the textile industry. We’re eager to show people how fiber processing can be sustainable and animal-friendly.
People can also learn more about sheep and alpacas, their social lives, and the types of fleece they produce. We find this is often a point of misunderstanding, but our new “meet the animals” tours will bust all the myths! You’ll meet our fluffy friends and see how much we appreciate them.
And of course, we’ll be running even more farm-to-needle classes and retreats for both emerging and seasoned fiber arts to share skills, create art, relax and renew, and make lasting friendships. My Needle Felting Academy has gotten a beautiful new venue for classes — and soon, you’ll be able to visit Nome Eweniversity virtually as well!
Ultimately, our mission is to inspire future makers, artists, growers, and shepherds to participate in this holistic community. The beautiful thing about the fiber arts is that it brings together so many people from different walks of life. The Nome Schoolhouse offers a place to create, connect, and learn for everyone, no matter their background.
Now, the Nome Eweniversity will allow us to officially run an educational nonprofit and receive tax-deductible donations, so we can maintain the facilities and provide scholarships to fiber arts students!
To learn more, visit the Nome Eweniversity website. To support our endeavors, you can donate here. Website Coming soon!
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