Taller Granny Square (The Granny Square Workshop)
Taller Granny Square (The Granny Square Workshop) is an ongoing community project cofounded by Jim Cohan and Carina Martinez in partnership with Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid NYC (VIA), a Manhattan-based non-profit committed to helping Latin American asylum-seekers establish healthy and stable lives.
The Granny Square Workshop, a biweekly crochet class that gives newly arrived migrants from Latin America a safe space to learn a creative skill, was designed to empower VIA’s community through relationship- and skill-building practices. The participants, many of whom were complete crochet beginners, have learned the “Granny Square” technique and how to apply it to create various wares. Not only does this versatile skill open new avenues of income for the participants and their families, but it also presents a chance to forge new friendships while engaging in a therapeutic activity.
During each two-hour session, participants are provided crochet materials, step-by-step lessons by experienced instructors, and coffee and snacks. At the end of each session, each crocheter is compensated $20 for their time plus a $6 stipend to cover commuting costs.
The first cycle of sessions took place from March to May, and the second ran from June to August. From September to November, a batch of participants and the program’s three instructors worked together to produce a set of nine blankets, which were exhibited and available for purchase at the Granny Squares for Asylum Seekers Benefit Party, which took place on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
100% of the crochet ware profits go to their makers and 100% of the Benefit Party ticket sales have gone to the funding of a 2025 cycle of workshops.
