New Year, New Name!

Dear Friends,

New Year! New Name! New Logo! (New-bury!)

Do we have a humdinger of an announcement for you! If the turn of the year is a time for fresh starts then this is the time for our own new beginning. Ever since we broke the news that the weaving school had found its new home in the town of Newbury there has been a steady stream of the same question, "Will you keep the name, Marshfield School of Weaving?" Initially we thought, "Yes, of course!" nothing was changing except where we were located. And yet, over time, it became clear to us that that wasn't entirely true. The school did change when we made the announcement. It changed because of the tremendous effort of the people of Newbury who rallied to find us a home, to make the move possible, and to welcome our arrival. At the risk of sounding dramatic, Newbury came to our aid during our greatest hour of need. Newbury embraced the school with open arms, now it's our turn to embrace it back.

To continue to grow, one must be able to discern what of the past to carry into the future, and what of the past to lay by. This process occurs regularly in nature. Birds and insects molt, snakes shed their skins, and sheep used to (and some still do) lose their fleeces annually. After a fifty year history it can be harder to recognize when it's time for an organization to molt. Sometimes though, like baby teeth, the new starts pushing its way up out of nowhere and the only path forward is to let it come. We remain as dedicated as ever to traditional craft, research, preservation, education, and community. Our past is forever woven into who we are, but our new name more accurately reflects who we are today. Our story, as they say, is still being written.

On behalf of our Board, best wishes for new starts in the year ahead.

Justin Squizzero

Director

What's in a Logo?

A logo is a critical part of an organization's brand. In this era of the gig economy and social media self-promotion we hear a lot about branding, but it's easy to forget what it that term really means. Like a cattle brand, an organization's brand should be unique and instantly recognizable. Simple enough, but a tremendous amount of thought goes into creating an effective brand and logo. The combination of words, typography, graphics, color, and composition need to communicate not just a name, but who the organization is behind it.

Brandmark

The ram of our brandmark is inspired by a print from the late 18th century. Sheep and wool have been, and remain, staples of textile making the world over. Vermont famously had six times the number of sheep than it had people in 1840! Today, with a renewed interest in sustainable agriculture, sheep have found an important place in rotational grazing and carbon sequestration systems. Fabric starts on the farm, and sheep are an instantly recognizable reminder of that connection. Since ancient times the ram has symbolized strength, determination, and creative beginnings. In many places the color blue has come to represent stability and reliability, and it is often linked with a sense of calm. These associations reflect key aspects of the school that we are proud to carry forward into our next fifty years.

Typeface and Tagline

Our logo typeface is digitized from texts printed by the Oxford University Press using type cut in the Netherlands in the 1670s. This typeface was digitized with fidelity to its original source as top-priority. While there is plenty to be said for reworking early styles for a modern look, this dedication to letting something old speak for itself is a perfect reflection of our approach towards teaching. By staying true to the tradition we allow everyone the opportunity to interpret it for themselves, applying it in the ways that are most relevant to them. Visually it's a typeface that retains every quirk of the hand cut originals, showcasing the beauty of subtle irregularity that's only found in the handmade. Our thanks go out to Igino Marini for making the Fell Types available for us in the 21st century.

"Community, Craft, Connection" has evolved organically throughout the last year as a distillation of our fundamental values. We create community in our classes by working together, and have been eagerly embraced by the community in Newbury. We hold deep respect for the embodied human wisdom of our tradition and the empowerment that craft can provide. Through our materials, tools, and the act of doing we build connection with the natural world and textile makers in the past, present, and future. These three principals are what we love most about the school and getting to share with every one of you.

Housekeeping

With a new name come new urls and email addresses. Don't worry, our former ones will redirect you, but to make sure you don't miss a thing you'll want to update our contact information.

Website: newburyschoolofweaving.org

Email: info@newburyschoolofweaving.org

Instagram: instagram.com/newburyschoolofweaving

Facebook: facebook.com/newburyschoolofweaving

Exactly a year ago we asked you to update our contact information when we moved from a .com to a .org url, so we appreciate you taking a moment to do it again. This is the last time, we promise!

Looking Ahead

Thank you to everyone for an unforgettable 2024 and for coming along as we embark on our next fifty years in 2025. We are finalizing our program schedule and are excited to announce the return of scholarships this season. Stay tuned for updates on eligibility and how to apply for those in the coming months.

We might have a new name, but just as we have since 1975, The Newbury School of Weaving welcomes everyone to find connection in a vital and living heritage craft. Join us and find your place in the tradition.

As always, we can only do what we do with your generous support. Gifts of all sizes make a tremendous impact. Thank you.

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