Maine Fiberarts at USM
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.
Reception: A reception in honor of the artists, University of Southern Maine, Portland Campus on Friday, November 21 from 3-5 p.m.
The show at USM is currently installed in the Glickman Family Library's Reading Room (7th floor) at USM, Portland. The challenge with the Reading Room is that the room was built for showing off artists’ books and has numerous wooden cabinets built and installed by Thomas Moser. Most of the cabinets are 6 inches tall and 24 feet long and wall space is minimal. Throughout the summer, Maine Fiberarts’ staff has been calling for work that is short, sculptural, or would fit within these limitations. The resulting show includes woven textiles, netted June bugs, collaged fabric, stitched landscapes, a bear fur headdress, felted books, torn paper books, tatted bamboo, and needle-worked geese flying south.
Two of the artists—Linda Brunelle and Lyne Beaulieu—come from Montreal; rug hooker Roslyn Logsdon hails from Maryland; and coiled basketry maker Peggy Whitney Hobbs lives in Pennsylvania. The rest of the artists come from Maine and include Noreen Blaiklock, Arrowsic Island; Barbara Burns, Harpswell; Katharine Cobey, Cushing; Stephanie Crossman, Vinalhaven; Sallie Findlay, Deer Isle; Emi Ito, Bath; Natasha Kempers-Cullen, Topsham; Kathy Angel Lee, Old Orchard Beach; Stephanie Levy, Brunswick; Laney Lloyd, Ludlow; Phyllis Harper Loney, Round Pond; Cynthia McGuirl, Thomaston; Robert McKibben, Portland; Susan Mills, Bowdoin; Arlene Morris, Brunswick; Karen Munson, Brunswick; Priscilla Nicholson, Brunswick; Elaine O’Donal, Gorham; Rana O’Connor, Portland; Kirsti Sandoy, Topsham; Mary Ann Schwarcz, Orrington; Sybil Shiland, Standish; Jill Snyder Wallace, Minot; Colleen Teerling, Farmingdale; Jill Vendituoli, West Newfield; Susan Winn, Portland; and Cathy Worthington, Brunswick.
Because the Reading Room and the Glickman Library receive heavy use by both students and faculty, it is open long hours. Please see www.usm.maine.edu/events for hours and directions.
Current Exhibition Image Gallery
In addition to this show, Maine Fiberarts has assembled a show of members’ work that is for sale for the holidays on view at its Topsham location of 13 Main Street. This show includes woven tapestries, hooked animal pillows, cashmere sachets, handspun hats, colorful yarns, art quilts, crocheted torso work, and wild hooked rugs. The show includes almost every one of 23 different mediums found in fiber art. The gallery is open to the public Tuesday-Friday, 10-4 and Saturdays, 11-2 and artists, enthusiasts, and holiday gift-givers are encouraged to see the beautiful array of work made by Maine artists.
