About Luna Fiber Studio
Luna Fiber Studio’s mission
is to get everyone excited about textiles and textile making! We exist in a world where we are continually shrouded by cloth (e.g. the towel we dry off with after our showers, the sheets we curl up in at the end of the night, the shirt we put on for the next Zoom call) yet we are extremely distant from the creation of it. Here at Luna Fiber Studio we seek to bridge that distance. We ask difficult questions, challenge systems of power, and educate on how to actually make your own cloth using organic and sustainable methods.
Luna Fiber Studio prioritizes the voices, experiences and lives of BIPOC (Black Indigenous & People of Color) folk. All of our class and tuition fees goes towards our BIPOC scholarship program.
MEET OUR TEAM
Sarah Gotowka
Owner & Director
Sarah Gotowka is a practicing textile artist and instructor. She has been weaving since 2005, and has been growing natural dyes since 2010. She received her BFA in Fibers and Material Studies from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2007, and her MFA in Fibers and Material Practices from Concordia University in Montreal in 2013.
Since moving to the Ithaca area she has taught at SUNY Cortland, Cornell University, Ithaca College, The Johnson Museum of Art, Wells College, and New Roots Charter School to name a few.
Sarah is a Korean adoptee and formerly worked for the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York. There she mentored youth adoptees, and advocated around trans-racial adoption issues. Weaving and dyeing have been a powerful healing tool in Sarah’s journey of exploring her roots and connecting to her ancestral knowledge.
José Buenaventura González Gutiérrez
Instructor
José Buenaventura González Gutiérrez is from Teotitlan de Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico. He has been carding, spinning, dyeing and weaving for approximately 40 years. He grew his own cochineal and had a thriving textile business. He arrived in the United States on April 9th 2016 to stay permanently in the Ithaca area.
You can find more about José at his website: www.mexicanweaver.com
Indira White
Instructor
Indira White has been sewing from a very young age. She grew up in a sewing household and learned garment construction from both her parents. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Indira grew up in the Bronx and attended Fashion Industries High school in Manhattan. She did costume design and construction for Young Dancemakers Company, seasons 2007 and 2008. Indira received her BA in Science from Ithaca College and now works at Cornell.
Rose
Apprentice since 2015
This beautiful human bean here is named Rose. Rose has studied herbalism with Amanda David of Rootwork Herbals for years and also helps run the show at the Multicultural Resource Center. Rose has also been involved with The Youth Farm Project, and is one of the most badass farmers out there!
Astrid
Apprentice since 2020
This incredible woman has been studying with us for a little under a year now and has already gotten her own loom! (Thanks Ann!) Astrid has also worked with Amanda David of Rootwork Herbals, and that is actually how I met her! Astrid is currently working at The Youth Farm Project. Watch out for Astrid’s basket making workshops coming soon!
Cloak
#1 Intern
Cloak has been interning with us for over three years now and can basically warp a loom with their eyes closed. They have been working hard on an eye-popping, jaw dropping series of tapestries, coming soon!