August 23, 2025
Saturday Open Studio
Free with Museum Admission
Saturday
August 23, 2025
1 - 4 pm
Bertucci Education Studio
Weaver’s marks are the subtle signatures that tapestry weavers or ateliers use to “sign” their work much like a painter signs a canvas. Hidden in plain sight, many of the Gardner Museum’s tapestries feature these tiny, easily overlooked symbols that quietly identify their makers.
This Saturday Open Studios invites you to explore weaving by designing your own weaver’s mark. Join us for weaving, craft conversations, and slow-making. No experience necessary.
About the Artist
Photo courtesy of the artist
Rastislav Janardan is the 2025 Polly Thayer Starr Summer Intern. They are in their final year of the Combined BA/BFA program at Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, studying art history and textiles. Rusty’s academic and studio practices explore gaps in craft histories within the fine arts canon. They are training as a tapestry weaver and researching indigenous weaving pedagogies across South Asia, with particular attention to class- and caste-based hierarchies. Rastilav is also the awardee for the International Student Award of the American Tapestry Alliance. After graduation, Rusty hopes to pursue graduate training in art history while continuing to center making and tactile knowledge in their scholarship.
TICKETS I MUSEUM ADMISSION
Open Studios are free with Museum Admission, and participation is drop-in on a first-come, first served basis. Advance registration for General Admission is encouraged.
Purchase your ticket by clicking on the GET TICKETS button above.
Questions about accessibility? Please call the Box Office at 617 278 5156 to request accessible or companion seating, or to inquire about other accommodations in advance of the program.
Studio activities are made possible by the Polly Thayer Starr Charitable Trust. The Museum is also supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which receives support from the State of Massachusetts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Polly Thayer Starr (1904-2006) was an accomplished artist who captured the culture and whimsy of her native Boston with a unique combination of detail, emotion, and curiosity. For more, visit the Polly Thayer Starr Charitable Trust online at www.pollythayerstarr.org.
