Yarn Bomb in Torrington

Nimble fingers have been flying this spring as Five Points Gallery prepares for the installation of a “Yarn Bomb” Saturday in the historic downtown of Torrington.

Yarn bombing is a form of temporary street art where yarn in any form (knitted, crocheted, latch hooked, cross stitched, braided or wrapped) is attached to an object in a public space. More than 200 sites have been identified in the center of town. The projects will be installed June 11 and will remain on view until September.

Residents of all ages, genders and ability levels in the area were invited to participate and Five Points Associate Director Noel Croce said more than 500 people participated, from as far away as Westport CT and Brewster NY. Among those who joined in the project were clients of Prime Time House in Torrington, which works with people experiencing mental illness.

Willow Dealy a member of the Prime Time team, expressed her joy in creating the project. “It's so exciting to be a part of a creative community event,” she said. “Every day, I hurry to (the) Clubhouse to work on the banner that will be displayed as a part of the Yarn Bomb."

The Northwest Council of Arts is another agency joining in the fun. "We were excited about this project even before it went public,” said Amy Wynn, executive director of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council. “We learned about it when Five Points applied through our office for a State Regional Initiative Arts Grant."

The Arts Council's team started working on a “yarn bombing” idea for the Allen Building (home of the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council) after Wynn shared an image with the Five Points staff of a peacock afghan.

"(Five Points Associate Director) Noel Croce said, 'You should make that!' and we thought it would be great to have such a regal peacock 'land' on the crown of our art deco building," Wynn said.
Bill Haygood recently joined the team to advise and help with the installation.

Robert Rovezzi, who owns the Allen Building with his family, was supportive. "Robert is very pro arts and a great landlord," Wynn said. "The presence of public art, whether permanent or temporary, serious or whimsical, does so much for a community, and in the case of the Yarn Bomb, public art is engaging the entire region.”