University Park - Penn State School of Visual Arts director Vagner Mendonça-Whitehead has been developing a unique project that merges loom-knitting with anti-racism literature. Since its inception in late 2020, the project — titled "Left Listening" — has grown in both scale and ambition. Mendonça-Whitehead now aims to build large-scale knitting looms to weave a house-sized structure using thicker, weather-resistant materials. 

“The type of literature I am listening to, and that inspired this work, is frequently difficult and disturbing to me and people of similar or superior privilege. Through this discomfort, learning takes place. Anti-racism literature also offers a liberating comfort to those most affected by systemic racism,” Mendonça-Whitehead said. “My goal for a house-sized structure is to present it both as a shelter for those who need it, and as a monument for our troubled history and, sadly, present times. In many ways I hope to literally suspend this past as a symbolic gesture to attempt to remove racism from our societal foundations, while serving as a reminder that we must always be on the lookout for the fragility of freedom, as the knitted material will still touch the ground.” 

Mendonça-Whitehead partnered with OriginLabs at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub, a collaboration that provided the tools and expertise needed to bring the next phase of his project to life. By using OriginLabs’ advanced prototyping facilities, he has been able to develop and construct the large-scale objects essential for this project's evolution. 

OriginLabs is a prototyping and fabrication space open to all featuring dedicated lab spaces including woodworking, metalworking, surfacing, welding, digital fabrication and additive manufacturing. 

“Right now, we are working with the OriginLabs team in designing scalable 3D-printed knitting pegs and nuts for the loom, as well as a scalable table that will serve as a prototype to a house-sized structure,” said Mendonça-Whitehead. 

Mendonça-Whitehead and the OriginLabs team collaborated closely in both the planning and design iteration phases. Once the appropriate scales were determined, the OriginLabs team added threading to the pegs to securely fasten them to a custom-built table using specialized nuts. 

“We ultimately developed a fitting solution using the resources of our additive manufacturing lab,” said Jose Nunez, shop manager at OriginLabs. “The next step of the project is to create a custom flat pack table that will accommodate the 3D-printed pegs. The table will be designed so that it can easily be disassembled and transported in his car.” 

Mendonça-Whitehead has also expressed interest in creating a mold of the largest knitting peg to experiment with casting it in various metals. With the resources available at OriginLabs’ woodworking and additive manufacturing labs, this next step is well within reach, he said.

Collaborating with OriginLabs has greatly improved Mendonça-Whitehead’s efficiency. As the director of the School of Visual Arts, he explained that his role doesn’t always allow time to learn new technologies or engage in hands-on production and experimentation. Through this partnership, he has been able to advance his project more effectively by relying on the expertise and resources at OriginLabs.  

“OriginLabs has allowed me to literally think bigger, which will potentially expand the reach and outcome of this project,” said Mendonça-Whitehead. “This engagement has inspired me to go into directions I do not always pursue, such as public art commissions, which will likely become quite prominent in my practice in future years.” 

Seeing potential in how OriginLabs can support other creative research projects, the School of Visual Arts is now sponsoring OriginLabs memberships for new faculty and faculty that work with new technologies during the 2024–25 academic year. 

“I believe this will be extremely positive for their research, the research of their students, and the courses we teach,” Mendonça-Whitehead said. “It's truly a win-win situation, this relationship we are developing between the School of Visual Arts and OriginLabs.” 

Researchers across Penn State are encouraged to connect with OriginLabs to explore how the prototyping and fabrication space can support their research efforts. 

“We’d love to see other groups at Penn State leverage the design and fabrication expertise of our team and our advanced machinery,” said Nunez. “Collaborating with us gives insight into the prototyping process and shows how ideas come to life. We’re excited to explore a wide range of projects and welcome contributions from the Penn State community and beyond.” 

Mendonça-Whitehead said he hopes to apply for exhibition and public art opportunities nation-wide with the items developed in partnership with OriginLabs. 

About OriginLabs  

Located at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in downtown State College, OriginLabs provides access to world-class prototyping facilities to students and faculty from across campus, as well as members of the public from State College and beyond. The OriginLabs facilities enhance the suite of resources available to researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs in the region in the form of sophisticated equipment, free workshops, and expert advice and technical guidance.  

This project was financed in part by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community & Economic Development.