WE CONNECT PEOPLE THROUGH STORIES
DESIGN PROPOSAL: Tapestry
PROJECT PARTNER: Ragdale Foundation
Stories connect us —they are our shared history, our hopes, and our dreams. They preserve our cultures and inspire our futures. In the world of weaving, tapestries oftentimes tell us stories through their threads, colors, and imagery —capturing moments in time. Tapestry, a competition submission for the annual Ragdale Ring outdoor theater installation, builds on that tradition by creating an interactive experience for and built by the communities surrounding the Ragdale Foundation. The proposed installation sought to engage visitors on a personal level and give them a platform to share their stories with the community —capturing the season's activity.
Tapestry uses the building blocks of weaving to create architectural and sculptural structures. The forms are inspired by converging stories —where one story ends, another begins— creating vanishing points that can either be seen as stories bursting from the ground and coming to life or stories approaching their final chapters.
TAPESTRY
Performance Venue
THE RING - REIMAGINED
An inviting, reimagined gate is the official point of entry that leads visitors’ eyes to the sculptural stage pavilion created from staggered arches wrapped in webbing. As visitors enter the space, the environment subtly changes color and becomes more vibrant as they travel deeper into the installation. Recliners fill the ring and serve as backrests for guests.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
An interactive tapestry wall at the south end of the ring is where visitors weave their stories together to create the first Ragdale Tapestry. Audience members receive a strip of waterproof fabric on which they are encouraged to either write their responses to a prompt inspired by the show they are attending or simply share a thought, memory, or story of their own. Guests are then invited to physically weave their responses into the tapestry wall, helping to build a collective and unique narrative.
WOVEN STRUCTURES
A sculptural stage pavilion is created from staggered arches woven in multi-colored webbing, and wrapped recliners serve as backrests for guests.
