Collaborative Design Project - Bockrath

One of the best parts about We Care Arts is the diverse cross section of projects that our clients are encouraged to try.  It isn’t just colored pencils and paper here, our clients have the opportunity to experiment with a huge variety of mediums.  In the past few months, we’ve had groups use oil pastels on velvet board, bead, weave, create designs using tiles and glass, paint glass, upcycle furniture, make jewelry, paint model airplanes, work with clay, oh how the list goes on!  There is always an exciting new project in the works, and our most recently commissioned project is no exception.

We Care Arts is partnering up with local flooring and rug company Bockrath Flooring to create a one of a kind masterpiece floor tapestry to be sold at our annual auction in March.  The best part?  It will feature a design created by one of our clients.

A few weeks ago, a representative from Bockrath came into We Care to show examples of designs and the available colors, and encouraged our clients to draw from their imaginations to design a uniquely spectacular rug.  The challenge presented; to focus on curvatures and geometric patterns, utilizing bold design and contrast (as the medium doesn’t allow for a lot of detail).  This stipulation will challenge some of our artists to venture outside of their typical comfort zone, an exciting prospect that will undoubtedly yield terrific designs!  As you can see in the picture to the right, the gears were turning right away even as we just starting discussing the project!

Once the designs are completed, one will be selected by Bockrath’s customers online and brought back to the Bockrath studio where 2 veteran rug artisans will transform the drawing into a full sized statement rug, BY HAND!  Our clients will be welcomed to watch this transformation take place, to see their design come to life while also learning a bit about the process of making rugs. 

Our clients are not new to having their designs transformed into different products – just over the summer, 3 clients’ work was featured by the website We Are Lions, and was reproduced as shower curtains, bags, and cell phone cases (still available, if you're interested)!

Make sure to look out for the rug at our annual auction on March 11^th!  We’ll be sure to post a picture once the project is complete!  We’re getting very excited to see this process continue, because as we’ve heard, a good rug can really tie a whole room together.