3-Hour Workshop

Date: Saturday, October 7, 2023

Time: 10am-1pm

Description: In this workshop, we will use the pits and skins of avocados to dye cotton towels and t-shirts. So many plants we eat are also useful for dyeing. One thing that makes avocado dyeing special is the surprise of the pink color. We will experiment with how different mordants and additives affect color, using soy milk and iron to seek soft pinks and warm grays. Dyeing with the avocado will be our main activity but we will also take a moment to look at other things in the kitchen that give great color. And, we will use the avocado flesh to make guacamole for our mid-session snack. Participants should BRING a 100% cotton t-shirt, washed, but does not have to be new. Cotton towels and all other materials will be provided in the workshop.

Tuition: $55 + $15 materials fee

Materials: Students should bring a 100% cotton t-shirt, washed, but it does not have to be new. All other materials will be provided.

Location: Contemporary Craft (5645 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201)

Cancellations and Refunds: Workshop cancellations are decided three business days before the start date. If workshops must be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, the entire class fee will be refunded through Eventbrite, or you may leave your workshop fee in your Contemporary Craft account for future workshops.

Refund Policy: Student refund requests must be made at least three business days before a class begins. There will be a $25 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given without three-business days notice. Processing of refunds takes approximately three weeks.

About the Artist

Leah Patgorski is a Pittsburgh-based artist who was born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She earned a BS in Architecture at the University of Virginia followed by an MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her studio practice includes sculptures and painting-like objects, constructed of paper and textiles. She has been commissioned to make a number of large-scale pieces including a canvas rowboat and a tea tent. Leah’s highly tactile process moves back and forth between rule-following and improv, color experiments and found hues. Her individual work has been exhibited nationally and internationally with venues including Union Hall in Pittsburgh, PA; Proyecto ‘ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, PA; Strohl Arts Center in Chautauqua, NY; SWDZ in Vienna, Austria; and ADDS DONNA in Chicago, IL.