Pawtucket, Rhode Island: Savaree Hazard-Chaney, a 32-year-old artist, is making waves in fibre arts with her studio TuftxPVD, fostering community engagement and creativity, while teaching tufting skills and addressing accessibility challenges amidst her entrepreneurial journey.
Savaree Hazard-Chaney, a 32-year-old artist, has made remarkable strides in the world of fibre arts with her business, TuftxPVD, which is located in the vibrant Hope Artiste Village of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Since its establishment in January, the studio has become a hub for creativity and community, especially within the black, queer female community in the area. Hazard-Chaney attributes her success to “authenticity” and aims to make tufting—an art form involving the creation of rugs—accessible to a wider audience.
Reflecting on the nascent days of her tufting journey, Hazard-Chaney revealed that her initial interest was purely personal. “When I started tufting, it wasn’t about starting a business. I just love tufting,” she explained. Her foray into this artistic hobby was powered by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and her introduction to TikTok, which she initially resisted due to the demands of parenting four children. However, it was a dance trend inspired by singer Megan Thee Stallion that ultimately led her to discover the art of tufting.
Hazard-Chaney faced numerous challenges while building TuftxPVD, notably confronting her feelings of imposter syndrome as a business owner. “I thought, ‘Can I own a business? What does that look like’?” she recounted, highlighting the legal complexities and self-doubt intertwined with entrepreneurship. Despite these hurdles, she has been steadfast in prioritising her artistic vision over mere financial gain, focusing on cultivating a community that values her work.
A significant aspect of her business involves teaching. Hazard-Chaney has instructed approximately 300 individuals in the techniques of tufting, witnessing the transformative moment when learners grasp the skill. “We start with nothing other than a traced image on a piece of fabric, and you get to walk out with an entire rug,” she noted, taking pride in her students’ accomplishments.
In her workshop, however, she also grapples with the environmental impact of her materials, primarily relying on acrylic yarn for its affordability and colour variety. Hazard-Chaney collects waste produced during the tufting process and repurposes it, although she aspires to transition to more sustainable materials in the future.
Accessibility to tufting is another priority for Hazard-Chaney, who acknowledges that the cost of classes—ranging from $150 to $175—presents a barrier for some. “There are a lot of ways to figure out how to lower that barrier,” she stated, suggesting that encouraging more instructors in the craft could help expand its reach.
Beyond her studio, Hazard-Chaney has also initiated community programmes, including a six-week tufting course at the Providence Boys and Girls Club, aimed at empowering young individuals with entrepreneurial skills and creative expression. She reflects on her prior career in clinical counselling and the nonprofit sector, revealing that they provided her with valuable insights into serving vulnerable populations, but also led to burnout.
TuftxPVD has thus emerged not only as a business but as a creative space where Hazard-Chaney continues to interweave art and community, nurturing talents and building connections in Rhode Island.
Source: Noah Wire Services
