The inspiration for some of fiber artist Lynn Weinberg’s first kaleidoscopic creations came from an unusual source. While her husband, Winkler, was a medical school student in Augusta, GA, in the ‘70s, she worked side jobs to keep the household afloat. “It’s hard to support yourself as a fiber artist, so I was trained as an electron microscope technician. I started doing pieces based on my work looking at cells and other crazy stuff,“ says Lynn.
Lynn made large wall hangings at the start of her career but began designing hand-painted silk camisoles and other clothing after moving to Washington, DC. While her work was on display at an American Craft Council show in Baltimore, MD, she was discovered by a Bloomingdale’s buyer, which jump-started her career as a fashion designer. Her clothing has since been sold in Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, and on QVC. Actor Will Smith donned her colorful creations back in the ‘90s when he was best known for his role on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”. Her clothing was also worn by the cast of the TV sitcom “The Golden Girls”. She was shocked and thrilled when one of her pieces appeared in the movie “Working Girl”. “I noticed that one of my scarves was framed behind Sigourney Weaver’s desk!”
The couple finally landed in Atlanta in 1984.“In 2013, I decided to return to my roots as a crafter,” Lynn says. Today, she mixes recycled scraps of hand-painted silk and cotton from her 35 years as a designer with other fabrics, such as hand-dyed yarn to create rainbow-colored items like infinity scarves and crossbody cell phone bags. When she’s not designing in her home studio, Lynn enjoys spending time with her husband, Winkler Weinberg, who is an infectious disease doctor at Kaiser Permanente and has been working at the forefront of the pandemic.
Due to the cancellation of local craft fairs, Lynn has been building her online presence through Amazon and Etsy. She also has a collection of her work at K Squared Artisan Boutique in The Avenue East Cobb and North Point Mall, and Main Street Gallery in Clayton. In July, she welcomed her fourth grandchild, Max.
