AITKIN- Members of the Duluth Fiber Handcrafters Guild will celebrate the "Web of Connections" exhibit, which opened Wednesday at Ripple River Gallery in Aitkin and continues through Aug. 14.
There are 23 artists displaying their work in the exhibit. A reception to meet the artists and learn more about their work is scheduled from 2-5 p.m. July 29 at the Bay Lake area gallery.
"From the clothes we wear to the products we use, fiber arts are crucial to everyday life," according to a news release. "Weaving, spinning, knitting, felting and stitching-the appreciation and mastery of these time-honored skills, passed down from generations and across cultures, tell a unique story of human connection."
"Web of Connections" features a wide range of functional and decorative fiber items, including hand-woven garments and scarves, knitted shawls, hand-spun yarn, felted work, baskets and jewelry, blankets and rugs.
Exhibit coordinator Beverly Martin, Duluth, has been "playing with fiber" from an early age. An award-winning weaver, Martin learned to knit, sew and weave as a child and has continued to study with fiber artists from across the U.S. and Canada. Inspired by the colors and patterns of nature, Martin often hand-dyes the fibers for her woven creations.
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Duluth artisans Erin Endsley and Cindy Ericksmoen are both drawn to the tactile nature of the materials and the limitless opportunities that fiber, color, texture and structure offer. Kristina Bourne calls herself a "collector of ideas" and weaves to bring her ideas to fruition.
Fiber artist Martha Ritter uses mixed media of recycled and scrap fibers along with found fibers from the forest environment to create her projects. Former scientist Donna Forbes also turns to nature for inspiration and the materials for her fiber work.
Barb Dwinell, studio manager for the Duluth Fiber Handcrafters Guild/Duluth Art Institute Fiber Studio, weaves to reflect the colors of her home in northern Minnesota and her roots in Norway.
Terry Hamp and Cindy Hale credit their grandmothers with introducing them to fiber arts. The two artisans share an appreciation for sculptural felted wool and have both studied with renowned Icelandic artist, Anna Gunnarsdóttir.
The Ripple River Gallery is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. For more information, email ripplerivergallery@gmail.com or call 218-678-2575.
