Left to right: A sample of work from Maine Fiberarts’ “Fiber Folio Stories” website; Deco clothing by Vivian Cunningham; sweater design by Alicia Plummer; cover of “Maine Quilts: 250 Years of Comfort and Community” by Laurie LaBar. Courtesy of the Pejepscot History Center
The history of Maine, and certainly of the Brunswick and Topsham region, is threaded through with the history of fabric — from industrious French-Canadians and other immigrants who powered mills to centuries of weavers, knitters, quilters, sewers and other fiber artists.
The creativity, skill and social issues represented by those who work with textiles is the focus of Pejepscot History Center’s April 13 panel “Common Threads: Perspectives on Historical Textile Arts.” The program is part of PHC’s annual theme of “Fine/Folk: Critiquing Our Artistic Past.”
Fittingly, the event takes place in the Nomad theater in the historic Fort Andross building at 14 Maine St., Brunswick — a site of textile production for more than 150 years, primarily as the Cabot and Verney Mills. Pizza will be provided by Nomad, and a cash bar will be available.
“Textiles is one of the most undervalued media in the arts,” said Aimée Keithan, museum services manager for PHC and moderator of the panel. “The expertise of this panel gives PHC — an organization dedicated to revealing lesser-known stories in history — a chance to connect the past to modern handcrafts. Conversations like these can have a huge impact on how people perceive textiles and fiber artists.”
Seating at the event is extremely limited. Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for PHC members and $5 for those who find themselves in need. For more information and to register, visit pejepscothistorical.org/events/talks-presentations.
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