Knitted art will cover Constitution Court in first ‘Fiber Flash’

Constitution Court will soon be temporarily decorated with items made of yarn for the Forest Park Arts Alliance’s “Fiber Flash.”

It’s the first time the organization is holding the event, which debuts Nov. 4 at the “Forest Park Fall Wine Walk” held by the village’s chamber of commerce and development. Fiber Flash is both an art exhibition and charity drive.  

The event aims to publicly showcase the creativity of fiber art — the craft of items that are sewn, quilted, knitted or crocheted, among other methods — while simultaneously building up an inventory of cold-weather items for people who need them that can be donated to the Forest Park Public Library.

“It’s kind of a fun way to fill the comfort box at the library by demonstrating just how creative and wonderful the fiber artists in Forest Park are,” said Bridget Lane, a member of the Forest Park Arts Alliance and an organizer of the fiber flash.

More than a dozen people have signed up to contribute to the event, according to Lane. They have been working on items such as handmade scarves, hats, mittens, shawls, quilts and banners since late August.

Those items will be displayed throughout Constitution Court, adorned to various elements of the area. For example, scarves will wrap around trees and knit coverings will envelop a parking lot pay station and the slats of park benches, according to the Forest Park Arts Alliance’s public way use permit application. Hats will top the posts inside the court’s fountain and a banner will hang between light posts, among other elements.

“It’s hard for me to predict exactly what it’ll be, but I can guarantee it’ll be surprising and beautiful,” Lane said.

The goal is for none of the items created for the fiber flash to be destroyed. Decorative art pieces going up in Constitution Court will be made of weather-tolerant materials, like superwash wool or synthetics. After the exhibition, those knitted coverings will be sewn together in order to create afghans, quilts and blankets.

“We’re hoping we have so much stuff at the end of this that we maybe go beyond the library and donate to some of the churches in the area or other places that take care of the less fortunate,” Lane said. 

The decorations will be exhibited for up for two weeks, depending on weather. 

“I think people who see the display will be really impressed with the work of local residents,” Lane said.

 To learn more, contact the Arts Alliance at https://forestparkarts.org/contact-us.