The Artisphere Yarn Bomb is one of three temporary public art projects launched by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District this spring in partnership with Arlington Public Art.
Against a backdrop of iron and steel, this acrylic artwork softens and enlivens several of Rosslyn’s public spaces as the neighborhood undergoes redevelopment.
About 100 community volunteer knitters and crocheters from the greater Washington, D.C. area, of all ages and skill levels, dubbed the “Guerrilla Stitch Brigade,” created the hand-stitched artwork that was placed on six trees along Wilson Blvd., between the Rosslyn Metro station and Artisphere, Arlington’s visual and performing arts center. “The intent of this project is to lead people to Artisphere,” says Rosslyn BID’s Executive Director Cecilia Cassidy.
The Guerilla Stitch Brigade gathered for 20 weeks this winter on Wednesday nights in Artisphere’s Town Hall to knit and crochet individual pieces intended for the installation, stitching hexagons, squares, circles, triangles, flowers, vines, garlands and animal shapes. They also met at libraries and local yarn shops.
“Seeing the pieces of the Artisphere Yarn Bomb come together has been thrilling,” says Artisphere’s Executive Director José Ortiz. “Artisphere is a place where our community can gather to not only interact with art, but create it.”
Photos courtesy ©2013 Lloyd Wolf / www.lloydwolf.com