The Gas Station Project

The first project of the International Fiber Collaborative was to provide an opportunity for people who enjoyed working with fiber arts, whether professional artists, hobbyists or students, to come together from all over the world to express their concern about the worlds extreme dependency on oil. The project was called the World Reclamation Art Project (W.R.A.P.), otherwise known as the Gas Station Project. Participants crocheted, knitted, stitched, patched, or collaged 3 foot square fiber panels that expressed each participants concern about the topic. Simply by designing and creating these panels and participating in this project, they were expressing their concern about this important subject to all nations. All of the panels were then sewn together to completely cover an abandoned gas station in central New York State. In May, 2007 - The owner of the gas station signed a contract allowing use of the abandoned station.

The Call to Artists was made to crochet, knit, stitch, quilt, or patch 3 foot square (91.4 cm x 91.4 cm) fiber panels. The topic to be represented is your countries extreme dependency on oil for energy. Your panel need not contain an image or be a literal portrayal of your idea. Simply by designing and creating a panel of any colors and any fiber technique and participating in this project you are, in the larger picture,  expressing your concern about this important subject to the rest of the world. The design of the panel does not necessarily have to directly reflect the topic; self-expression is left up to the artist. Relief on panels is encouraged and all panels will be accepted. It was due by March 15th, 2008.