Artisans

Farther from the palace and to its north and south were the commoners, merchants, artisans, and laborers.

A shortage of skilled artisans meant it took years to rebuild the city.

The students at this private, one-of-a-kind college are aspiring artisans.

There was an urgent need for experienced artisans who knew how to rebuild the city. But there weren’t enough of them.

In response to this shortage of skilled artisans, a group of local movers and shakers laid the groundwork that led to the founding of the American College of the Building Arts.

Students get to work with instructors like Arnaud Le Rouzic, who trained at Les Compagnons du devoir, a prestigious French organization made up of craftsmen and artisans who learn skills dating from the Middle Ages.

“I came here to share my knowledge and my experience with the younger generation of artisans,” Rouzic said.

To explore traditional techniques and personal approaches to natural dyeing, Recker embarked on a journey and met with artisans from all over the world, from West Africa to Bangladesh to China to Northern California to Mexico to Uzbekistan.

Most of these artisans not only keep their ancestors' handmade natural dyeing techniques alive, they pass them to younger generations as they train other artisans in their communities.

Artisans come from different artistic and cultural backgrounds, however, their work is similar in many ways.