Project Award 2025

Carla Klinker, a global, non-linear thinker/artist, will forage wild stinging nettle fiber, spin yarn, and create a series of experimental textiles for her upcoming solo exhibit at the Bunnell Street Art Center. She will upgrade her studio, invest in equipment and documentation, host community gatherings, and deepen her investigations into locally sourced, sustainable art materials. 

when asked what she would like the public to know, Klinker responded, “I believe that creativity is a force that flows through everything and everyone. I live life with my senses tuned to the creative pulse, poised. Materials are always within reach, and I take projects with me everywhere. I am a global, associative thinker- not a linear thinker, and I experience the world from the inside out.”

(Left to right) “Transformation,” 2023, fresh and processed nettle; “Spool of Nettle Thread,” 2023, reverse twist double ply nettle thread on recycled wooden spool; “Adornment,” 2025, nettle fiber tassle, cordage and metal jump rings. (Photographed by Noah Wilson)

(Left to right) “Nettle Harvest 2024, grasping the nettle,” 2024, Carla Klinker is seen stripping the leaves off of mature nettles, photographed by Noah Wilson; “Nettle Weaving I,” 2024, handmade nettle thread and cordage on a red cotton warp, 8 x 8 inches, photographed by Rafael de la Uz; “Nettle Harvest 2024, loosening the bark,” 2024, fresh nettle processing, Klinker can be seen cracking the de-leafed nettle stems with her teeth.