Planned Events
of the International Hajji Baba Society
DATE: Sunday, April 20, 2008; 3:00pm
LOCATION: George Mason University, Arlington Campus, Arlington. Original Building, 3401 Fairfax Dr., Room 251
SPEAKER: Mehmet Girgiç and Theresa May-O'Brien
TOPIC: Turkish Felt Rug Making and Dyeing
Textile artists Mehmet Girgiç a dyer and feltmaker from Konya, Turkey, and Theresa May-O'Brien, a feltmaker from rural New York,
will speak about their handcrafted wool textiles and the processes used to create this work. They will speak about wool, dyes, weaving and felt making. Their traditional techniques have evolved at the Girgiç shop, becoming more contemporary with threads to the past. There
will be examples of both weaving and felt work. A slide show will offer a glimpse into the stages of this family business as they take the wool from the sheep to create remarkable artwork for the body and home.
Mehmet Girgiç was born in Konya, Turkey. At the age of thirteen, Mehmet joined his grandfather,
father and uncle in the family felt business. In 1987 Mehmet was given the responsibility to replace all the sikkes (whirling
dervishes hats) at the tombs of Jelaleddin Rumi and his followers in the Mevlana Museum in Konya, and he now looks after and maintains them. Because of his work with the sikkes, Mehmet is known worldwide as one of the remaining traditional sikke makers.
After 25 years of research, Mehmet has gained master status in wool identification and natural dye
processes for textiles. Mehmet has also expanded his research to identify and bring back some of the old
kilim and carpet designs. His kilims, rugs and felt work use natural dyes that recreate the colors of traditional old
Turkish carpets. Mr. Girgiç has taught and lectured widely including at Oxford University, Osnabruk University
as well as in Germany and in many universities and craft centers in the United States. His work has
been discussed in HALI, National Geographic and other publications. An example of his work:
Theresa May-O’Brien has been an artist since her childhood in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, inspired by the culture, seasons, and
fabric of her rural roots. As a landscape watercolorist she studied with Jack Flynn and became a noted artist in her own right. Her creative inquiry took her into the fiber arts where she applied the eye of a painter to spinning and felting. Now an accomplished feltmaker, Theresa has
studied with the Old World master felt makers of Scandinavia, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary and Turkey where she
has traveled and lived, learning both the methods and the culture of the felting tradition. Theresa’s work
has reached new artistic levels through Mehmet Girgiç's mentorship. She has been a
teacher and lecturer throughout the northeast United States on both the craft of felt making as well as the
cultural bridges that can be built through art. Theresa currently lives and teaches on her small
farmstead in upstate New York.
DIRECTIONS TO GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY ARLINGTON CAMPUS
(3301/3401
Fairfax Dr., Arlington):
From Washington, DC Cross over the Key or Roosevelt Bridge; follow
signs to the George Washington Parkway. Once on the parkway, exit at
Spout Run (left exit). Cross over Route 29 (Lee Highway). Spout Run
is now Kirkwood Road. Cross over Washington Boulevard. The Arlington
Campus is on the right, at Fairfax Drive.
By Metro, take the Orange Line to the Virginia Square/GMU station.
Take the escalator to the street level, and turn to face Fairfax
Drive. Across the street and to the right, you will see the FDIC
building. The Arlington Campus is next door.
For a map of the campus,
see: here
FREE STREET PARKING IS AVAILABLE
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