Later this month, winter clothes will appear around Riverfront Park’s Eco-Earth Globe.
It’s part of an art project organized by Willamette University students to donate clothes to people in need.
The project, called “Scarves for Salem,” is a yarn bomb, an art form that beautifies public spaces while sending a serious message.
Social justice groups use yarn bombing to raise awareness with fun patterns and by including information through attaching flyers to the knitting. The idea is similar to graffiti or other forms of street art that seek to beautify public spaces while spreading a message.
“We’re doing more than a philanthropic clothing drive, we’re drawing attention to the people in need,” said David Altman, Willamette University professor of physics. The timing of the project is meant to highlight the greater need for clothes with colder weather.
The knit clothing will be available for people in need to take during the installation, and all remaining clothes will be donated to homeless service provider ARCHES.
Altman has taught knitting culture classes since 2017 as part of Willamette University’s freshman colloquium courses, which are small classes focused on engaging every student. He wanted to use a colloquium course as a chance to share his personal passion, knitting, with students.
During the class, students learn about how knitting interacts with art and fashion, but also technology and politics. One example, Altman said, is how protestors knitted pink “pussy hats” to oppose President Donald Trump at the start of his first term in 2017.
When freshmen sign up for the knitting culture class, they’re often expecting a relaxing term of simple crafting. The cultural and political aspect of the class surprises lots of students, Altman said, but most of them respond to it positively.
“You can take things you don’t normally take so seriously … and learn from it,” Altman said.
For each knitting class he teaches, Altman makes it a goal for the class to do a yarn bomb. In the past, those yarn bombs were only on the Willamette campus. This year’s effort is “the most ambitious project from this class,” Altman said.
Salem’s Public Art Commission put Altman in touch with city parks and recreation staff and helped reserve space for the yarn bomb in the park. City staff also set up donation boxes for people around Salem to contribute to the project.
So far, Altman said, the class has received around 50 donated items from the community on campus, whether it’s a handmade item or a university scarf.
The university’s fabric, yarn and textiles club has especially supported the project by advertising it on social media.
The installation doesn’t have a set date to appear, which Altman said is mostly due to weather uncertainty. The project’s unknown date is also part of yarn bombs’ element of surprise.
Anyone can donate clothing to the project. Handmade items are encouraged, but they’ll accept all clothing. The deadline to donate clothing is Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Locations to donate clothing:
- City of Salem Operations Building, 1457 23rd St. S.E., Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Center 50+, 2615 Portland Rd. N.E., Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- City customer service center, 555 Liberty St. S.E. Room 100, Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Questions about the project can be sent to Kathleen Swarm, the city’s recreation manager, at [email protected].
Contact reporter Madeleine Moore: [email protected].
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Madeleine Moore is working as a reporter at Salem Reporter through the University of Oregon’s Charles Snowden internship program. She came to Salem after graduating from the University of Oregon in June 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
