Presenter bios:

Mark Nowotarski is the yarn spinning instructor at Stamford’s Studio Andreas. “Spinning goes back to the dawn of humanity. Once I had my initial instruction, I was amazed how fast I got the hang of it. It was almost like I was ‘remembering’ something deep inside of me. I look forward to helping others get that same sense of satisfaction and wonder.”  

During his career, Mark had his own patent agent business in Darien where he helped inventors protect their new ideas. Prior to his patent practice Mark spent 20 years inventing and developing green manufacturing processing. He is a named inventor on over 20 patents.

Mark has a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford and a Bachelor’s in Aerospace, Mechanical Sciences and Engineering Physics from Princeton. In high school, he was one of the founding members of the Farmingdale Free School. 

Chelsea is a multi-disciplinary artist in Norwalk, CT. She majored in textile design at Rhode Island School of Design with a focus in weaving. Chelsea loves weaving because it is the alchemy of engineering and art – freedom to create while held in the safety of a purposeful structure. Once the structure is in place, weaving becomes a rhythmic, tactile meditation of color and materials.

Chelsea’s current projects include: dreamy handmade textiles for the home and wall; an innovative planner for creative thinkers, and ‘Painted by Rain’, an artbook of poetry and photography. Chelsea teaches weaving at Studio Andreas in Stamford, Connecticut.