Community Calendar

Common Threads: Perspectives on Historical Textile Arts
Presentations and panel discussion featuring Laurie LaBar, Christine Macchi, Alicia Plummer, and Vivian Cunningham, moderated by Pejepscot History Center Museum Services Manager Aimeé Keithan
Thursday, April 13 at 5:30pm at NOMAD, Fort Andross, Brunswick, Maine

Visit the collections of any New England historic house museum and you’re guaranteed to find a spinning wheel–a physical representation of hominess. From the clacking of home looms to the hum of cotton mills, textile production has long brought people together. Despite the important place the textile arts hold in our society, the utilitarian origins of these arts often overshadows the creative expression and skill they require.

Join expert textile artists and historians Laurie LaBar (Maine State Museum Chief Curator of History and Decorative Arts), Christine Macchi (Executive Director, Maine Fiberarts), Alicia Plummer (Knitwear Designer), and Vivian Cunningham (Maine College of Art and Design Fashion & Textile Student) as they speak about the deep past of their specialties and their experiences in the textile arts today. Through illustrations and original pieces, they will address the tension between expression and utility that both advance and complicate the legacy of the fiber arts. Moderator (and knitter) Aimée Keithan will then lead a discussion into the deeper issues textile artists have historically faced–and still feel today–to have their skills valued and the resulting pieces appreciated as art, and if doing so compromises the intimacy and inclusivity the modern crafting community seeks to foster.

This program will be held at NOMAD, in the beautiful historic Fort Andross mill building–a site of textile production for over 150 years. Pizza will be provided by NOMAD, and a cash bar will be available.

Tickets: $10 PHC Members; $15 General Admission; we are also offering a special $5 if you would like to attend this event but find yourself in need. Space is limited.

Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/common-threads-perspectives-on-historical-textile-arts-tickets-590241467117 to register today.

Download iCal