The Curious World of Barbara Bean
I am an artist who earned a living as a social worker for 35 years before settling in Brunswick and turning to art full time. My husband, a biologist, taught …
Fiber Art Studios
Stories of Maine artists in their studios documented through interviews and photographs.
Lissa Hunter: materials + meaning
Fibers, Clay, Basketry, Paint, Ideas Lissa Hunter spends her life working in and around fibers. She has worked as a painter, weaver, basketmaker, coiler, papermaker, and assemblage artist. She also …
Morris David Dorenfeld: Tapestry Artist
Morris David Dorenfeld: Tapestry Artist (3/30/1937-2/13/2023) Long after studying painting at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Art Students League in New York City, Morris David (Morrie) Dorenfeld found …
Harpswell Studio Tour I
The inaugural Harpswell Open Studio Tour took place July 13-14, 2024 and included “Open Studios and Display Spaces” in and around Harpswell Neck: Sebascodegan Island, Orrs Island and Bailey Island. …
Harpswell Studio Tour II
Here is a continuation of the Harpswell Studio Tour I took this past July (see Harpswell Studio Tour I) . In these travels, I visited the home and studio of …
Ed Musholt’s Art: Whimsy With Punch
Arlene and I visited the studio of Ed Musholt in Portland after seeing three of his sculptures in an exhibition at Maine Fiberarts. Ed can draw and paint, but prefers …
Stephanie Crossman
Traditional Knotted Netting Stephanie Crossman is one of a handful of artists throughout the U.S. using traditional knotted netting to create art. She learned the technique in 1992, when she …
Creativity at Two Imagine Studios
In July, Two Imagine Studios held an Open House to announce their new gallery in Farmington called “This Is It.” I traveled the backroads of Litchfield, Monmouth, Readfield, and Mt. …
Her Life in Braiding
Read about Master Braider, Nancy Young, how she got her start in braiding, how she held Braiding Camps attracting makers from all over the U.S. and beyond, and view pages …
Interviewing Bobbi Mahler
Braiding in Belgrade. Rug braider, demonstrator and teacher, Bobbi Mahler of Belgrade has been braiding since 2004. She began doing decorative wood craft: birdhouses, household items, and cat or bear …
A Visit With Renu
Enjoy these photos of the studio of Renuka O’Connell. Full interview of her work coming soon.
Hugh Verrier: Birds in Flight
Hugh Verrier of Eustis, Maine [10/29/1931-5/31/2023] creates birds and fish that are a unique combination of watercolor painting and paper sculpture. We visited his home studio in June where Hugh …
Barbara Burns’ Tapestry Studio
Friends Mary Lou Steptoe and Carolyn Wollen truly love to explore fiber art when traveling. Mary Lou found the studio of Barbara Burns in Maine Fiberarts’ “Fiber Art Masters Book”—a …
Summer Travels: Part III
Franklin/Somerset Travels: Dark Star Fabrics, Anne Walker Studio, Mt. Blue State Park and Farmington On this day, I started off in Strong, gassing up at The White Elephant, a huge catchall …
Common Threads of Maine
Visiting a new learning center in an old mill Maine Fiberarts visited Common Threads of Maine in Westbrook just before the pandemic caused businesses to shut down. A huge room …
Hatchtown Dye Day
Our spinning group meets once per month at a different person’s home. Pam Child of Hatchtown Farm in Bristol decided to host our group in August and to organize a …
Weaving at the Studio of Sara Hotchkiss
Gardens and looms. Lavender, weaving students, chocolate chip cookies, and looms underway. Sara and I planned this visit months ago when the snows were still swirling in Maine. But this …
Wild for Rug Hooking
“Chris! You HAVE to do this!” These are the words my husband, Richard, exclaimed when we saw what hooked rugs could look like! Our preconceived notions of hooked rugs—stodgy colors, …
A Tale of Two Weavers
During the Summer of 2018, Maine Fiberarts’ member and friend, Nina Ruit, entered an apprenticeship program organized by the Maine Crafts Association. Ruit is a spinner, knitter, seamstress, and sheep …
A Fully Braided Home
Nancy Young lives in both Maine and Pennsylvania and has been braiding rugs for over sixty years. She and her husband ran Waters Edge Braiding Camp in Winthrop for many …
Fiber in Western Maine – Part II
Continuing our journey through Western Maine to learn of teaching resources for our new Learning Guide, we left Rangeley and made our way back towards Maine Fiberarts in Topsham with …
Fiber in Western Maine – Part I
Maine Fiberarts is working on a new publication. “Learning Fiber Arts: A Guide to Maine Teaching Resources” will be an online and printed directory of the people and places throughout …
Traveling our Fiber Arts Mini Tour
In August, several of us spent three days traveling along Maine’s midcoast using Maine Fiberarts’ newly-printed Fiber Arts Mini Tour. This is what we saw and did: First, we toured …
A Visit to Stephanie Levy’s Studio
I visited Stephanie Levy’s studio in Brunswick in June and it was an exciting time for both of us. Stephanie had just retired from her working life to focus more …
Teapots and Textiles at Meryl Ruth’s Studio
Arlene and I visited the studio of Cumberland artist Meryl Ruth in September to prepare for her solo show at Maine Fiberarts. We were able to walk through her home, see her …
Anne Cox: Artwork and Gardens
This place is fun! Hedgerow is owned and operated by Anne Cox and her partner Julie Wortman near the tip of the St. George Peninsula in Tenants Harbor situated between Thomaston …
Susie Stephenson’s New Studio
Susie Stephenson is into fibers whole hog. She has been a rug hooker over many years known for her playful original designs, wild use of color, and reuse of woolen garments …
Elizabeth Busch: Architect, Artist, Painter, Quilter, Knitter
For Elizabeth, art is a way of life. You see it in her surroundings, in the attention to detail in her gardens, in the collections within her antique home, in …
Hillary Hutton: Master Rug Weaver
Hillary learned to weave at the Massachusetts College of Art and has stayed with it for over 30 years. She is known for her exquisitely-crafted handwoven rag rugs, but also …
Carlson’s Collaged Crocodile
To prepare for a Summer exhibition of members’ work at Maine Fiberarts, we have been visiting artists’ studios. It had been a while since I visited the studio of Susan …
Fiber Marketplace and Yarn Sellar
It was off to the town of York this Spring to take in a special event and a yarn shop. Carrie McKie, owner of The Yarn Sellar in York, Maine …
Marlene Ekola Gerberick: Great Gifts Come
Marlene Ekola Gerberick [4/29/1935-5/21/2018] Birds’ nests, feathers, bones. Paintings, artists’ books, assemblages. The work in the studio of Marlene Gerberick is both nature-based and eclectic. The overall colors are soothing …
The Knitting Sculpture Studio of Katharine Cobey
Katharine Cobey [1/8/1938-12/5/2020]. The studio of artist Katharine Cobey is located on a cove off Muscongus Bay in Cushing, Maine. Katharine was one of the founding trustees of Maine Fiberarts, …
Anne Walker’s Studio in Rangeley
While touring Rangeley, Arlene and I visited the studio of art quilter Anne Walker. Anne and her husband Rick built the house several years ago and included space for a …
The Colorful World of Natasha Kempers-Cullen
Natasha Kempers-Cullen is an artist whose work features her hand painted and printed fabric. These fabrics are cut and torn into pieces she incorporates into collage compositions which become art …
Susan Mills’ Studio
This weekend, I ventured out to an Open Studio held by Susan Mills in Bowdoin. Susan is a mixed media artist using felt, photography, found objects, natural materials, metal and more combined …
Marion Brown Rug Hooking Studio
This winter, we visited the studio of Marion Brown Rug Hooking in Belfast, Maine. The studio is located just beyond downtown in a large red and white building called The …