Swale Garden Tour and Workshop on Governor’s Island

Established in 2016 by artist Mary Mattingly, Swale is a floating food forest built atop a 5,000-square-foot barge, welcoming the public to harvest herbs, fruits, and vegetables for free. Swale strives to strengthen the stewardship of public waterways and land, while working to bring awareness to issues of food insecurity.  This year, Swale has expanded to a land-based program on Governors Island, within a beautiful, historic house in Nolan Park. There, Swale presents seasonal exhibit and educational workshops that engage visitors around issues of food access, ecology, and horticulture. Guests on this very special tour of the Swale garden will also enjoy complimentary wine and beer while they participate in a specially curated workshop:

PLANT DYE LAB
A hands-on inquiry into plants and soils as colorant for fiber. Embracing ancient and modern methods of extracting color from plants and soil, we will discover and experiment with the rich palette of hues using the rich palette of living material in and around the Swale house. Participants will learn about tracking chemical reactions between mordants, bast, protein, and cellulose fibers, and create a scarf to take home.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Callen Zimmerman explores intricacies of material culture, as textile researcher, educator and maker. Currently a professor at the City College in Brooklyn New York, Callen also partners with the Textile Arts Center and BRIC to explore radical pedagogy and textile history.