Sarah Enzinger, Dee Nierman’s mother and Margaret Synder’s grandmother, weavs a rug to support her family after her husband died. Enzinger taught both Nierman and Synder how to use the loom.
Submitted photo | Traditional Arts Indiana
Weaving Indiana presents the lives and work of two rag-rug makers who learned to weave on their family farm in Bartholomew County in a documentary film.
The first screening of the documentary will be from 6 to 7 :30 p.m. March 16 at the Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St., Columbus. Following the screening will be a discussion with the artists themselves.
For Dee Nierman, 86, of Brownstown and her niece, Margaret Luckey Snyder, 65, of Columbus, making rugs is more than a hobby. It is a practice deeply rooted in family history and community life.
Nierman weaves on a loom made in 1864 for her maternal great-grandmother, Sarah Cox Collins.
Snyder, who still lives on the family homestead and works a full-time job as a medical coder, also weaves on a handmade loom passed down through several generations of the family.
Nierman and Snyder experienced the other side of the camera as Claire Gillett, a graduate assistant at Indiana University in the department of folklore and ethnomusicology, filmed their lives and passions in a documentary produced by her.
“It was different. I have never been one to be in the films, so it was pretty interesting, and she’s a very nice girl,” Nierman said.
“She was a pleasant person to be around, and she didn’t make us feel nervous or uncomfortable being in front of the camera,” Snyder said.
The film centers on the historical roots of this creative practice and the ways it has found new life in southern Indiana today. Though they learned the craft out of necessity, Nierman and Snyder have continued to weave throughout their lives, serving as important fiber arts ambassadors in southern Indiana.
The duo regularly participates in regional fairs and festivals, including Fort Vallonia Days, where their rugs are met with an enthusiastic market.
“I really enjoy it as a hobby,” Nierman said.
“It was nice to see someone take an interest into what we do,” Snyder said.
Filming began during the fall semester of 2022 for Gillett, and she completed the film sometime in December.
The duo is most excited and curious to see who attends the screening.
“I hope to see some people I haven’t seen in a while or maybe some old classmates,” Nierman said.
“I am curious to see who attends and ask people what their interest is,” Snyder said. “I look forward to answering any questions people might have, but hopefully, they won’t be too hard.”
By focusing on the work of individual makers, Weaving Indiana tells a larger story about women’s work, family life and cultural continuity in southern Indiana.