September 2–December 19, 2014. An exhibition of contemporary Maine fiber work at the UNUM Great Reading Room, 7th Floor of the Glickman Family Library on the University of Southern Maine, Portland campus. The exhibition is free and open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend the reception on November 21, 3-5 p.m.

A Posthumous Exhibition of Works by Richard Lee 

The University of Southern Maine (USM) Kate Cheney Chappell ’83 Center for Book Arts will exhibit “Richard Lee: Paper Trails,” featuring Lee’s installations, artist’s books, rock collages, and travel journals. January 26 - April 30, 2015. UNUM Great Reading Room, 7th Floor, Glickman Family Library. Free and Open to the Public.

The exhibition includes 62 works of art by 22 Maine artists who have created unusual and remarkable pieces resembling and moving far away from traditional book structures.

CANCELLED

A Workshop with Janet Conner

Like all old fashioned crafts, rug hooking is low-tech, simple, and lots of fun! You can easily incorporate fabric strips, woolen rovings, handspun or commercial yarns, felting techniques or embellishments once you have mastered the basics. Learn the sequence and procedure of rug hooking, from start to finish. Every step will be demonstrated. The history and tradition of primitive rug hooking will be discussed, you’ll learn about finding and preparing materials, and research sources for design inspiration. You will choose from a variety of simple folk art designed rug hooking kits in order to make a small mat or chair pad that are purchased directly from the instructor. 

Date and Time

Wednesday, August 10, 2016, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a one hour break for lunch (on your own or bring your own).

Workshop Location

Maine Fiberarts, 13 Main Street, Topsham, Maine

Who It’s For

Beginner level

How to Sign Up

Register by August 5 at 207-721-0678; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fees

Class fee: $65 for Maine Fiberarts members, $80 for non-members, payable in advance to Maine Fiberarts. Materials fee: $34-$60, depending upon kit chosen, payable to our instructor at class or ordered beforehand. Janet will bring an array of kits to the class to choose from. However, students can also order their kit before the class from Janet by visiting her website. To pre-order a specific kit, send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

What to Bring

Your rug hooking kit will include everything needed: hook, instructions, design suggestions, binding, burlap, hoop and a selection of one-of-a-kind heirloom and hand-dyed wools. If you have a favorite pair of sharp fabric scissors, please bring these to class. Don’t forget to bring your lunch.

Instructor Bio

Instructor, Janet Conner, is a long time member of Maine Fiberarts, the National Education Association, Saco Valley Fiber Artists, and the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild. Her rugs have been shown regionally and internationally in galleries, guild shows, and various publications. Janet has been an avid hooker since 1979, always incorporating new techniques and styles. Well grounded in art history, she especially enjoys sharing the traditions and history of hooking. Janet loves all forms of fiber art, and she continues to find her greatest joy in teaching—and she LOVES beginners!

You can view three more of Janet's creations from our exhibition last year entitled Hooked Wall Pieces After Master Painters. In the gallery at the bottom of the page, you can hover your mouse over the images and see the name of the artist.

Affectionately and internally called "Fiber Central" because of the activities and information that find their way into and out of the offices and gallery space, Maine Fiberarts first opened its headquarters at 13 Main Street in Topsham in 2003. This is the place to find out everything you want to know, show or tell about fiber art and farms.