SAN ANTONIO – The ancient art of weaving was passed down and taught to pediatric patients at University Hospital by a San Antonio artist on Monday.
Fiber artist and weaver Doerte Weber demonstrated her craft to the children and showed them how to use a loom. The lesson was part of the city’s tricentennial celebration.
Weber’s piece, entitled “30 Blooming Leaves of Mexico,” hangs in the lobby of University Hospital and served as a backdrop while she taught the loom technique to the children.
She said the installation weaves a rich tapestry, not only about San Antonio’s history but also the path taken by Europeans to get to the city.
"It's a pattern which comes originally from 800 A.D. from Persia, then went to Northern Europe, from Northern Europe to Spain, from Spain to Mexico and then to San Antonio," Weber said.
Weber said the pattern is often found in bed quilts and it reminds her of how cultures can live in harmony together, as she sees in San Antonio.
Weber used colorful plastic newspaper sleeves to create the bright and touchable installation.