Who are The Bombshells of Cincinnati?
The Bombshells of Cincinnati are a group of yarn bombers that range from 18-70+ years of age. They have been covering and activating spaces with colorful fibers since 2011. They are known for their bright installations at Museums and parks within the 100-mile radius of Cincinnati.
Oh that’s cool! Wait… what’s yarn bombing?
Yarn bombing is a type of street art that employs colorful displays of knitted, crochet yarn and fiber rather than paint or chalk. The start of yarn bombing is attributed to Magda Sayeg from Houston who coined the term after first covering the door handle of her boutique with a custom-made cozy in 2005. It attracted attention from passersby, inspiring Sayeg to venture further with the idea of covering objects with yarn.
Neat! …Now what do you mean by activating a space?
Activating a space is just that. Bringing activity to a space that is usually overlooked or taken for granted. It might be a large sculpture you pass everyday. Or it could be a little park that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. What we do is give people a little of the unexpected. It could be just a little pop of color or a new way of looking at an object or space. Once we yarn bomb we have seen people flock and congregate in these spaces that aren’t typically utilized.
That’s Awesome! So do you keep it up forever?
Well, no. Our yarn bombs are usually only up an average of 6-8 weeks. As you can imagine the elements start to get to the yarn. The rain will make it sag and the sun will fade our bright colors. Frankly it starts to look sad. No one likes a sad yarn bomb. Also by taking it down in a timely manner we are able to reuse elements and the yarn for other projects!
Do you do this for Free?
No. Our yarn bombs take a lot of coordination, time, expertise and supplies. We love what we do and we are not making enough to retire on. The amount we are paid ensures no expense comes out of our pocket and a bit of compensation to each Bombshell for their labor.
I Love this! Are you taking new Members? We have a pretty rigorous vetting system … but yeah! All Bombshells have joined by becoming a sidekick and trying their skills in a project. Each sidekick has a Bombshell sponsor and has put in at least 40 hours of knit or crochet work along with an installation. Bombshells do around 60+ hours of work each for an installation. So it’s a great dry run to see if you got what it takes!
That Sounds like a lot… Can I do … Less?
Yep! We do a few community outreach things throughout the year. You can either do the craft that will go into a larger piece or just come by to learn! Follow us on Facebook for future events in your area. We usually like to rope in the community to continue to spread the joy throughout the city.
So how do I hire you?
We do need at least 3-6 months notice (depending on the size of the project). That gives us ample time to get a proposal/quote to you, measure, coordinate and fabricate the installation. You can DM on our Instagram, Facebook or email us at thebombshellsofcincinnati@gmail.com
Wow you guys are awesome.
Someone should write about this.
Aw thanks. …and you know what they have! Here are a few links of some press we’ve received. We always love compliments but we mainly do it for the giggles and smiles.
https://www.citybeat.com/arts/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying and-love-the-bombshells-12173756
https://www.citybeat.com/arts/knitting-a-new-landscape 12180897