Festival 2012: 'Hook-In' and 'History of Hooked Rugs'

Festival 2012:  ‘Hook-in’ 

and 

‘History of Hooked Rugs’

By: Joan Beswick

In every organization, on every committee, there are a few individuals who go the extra mile. Their enthusiasm is infectious, their energy boundless, and no task is too formidable. The Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival has the good fortune of having such people among their committee members. This past fall, two of these committee members, Lynn O’Brien-Lines and Dianne Bacon, contributed to the organization of a ‘hook-in’ for the last day of the Festival. 

Lynn O'Brien-Lines

Dianne Bacon

In addition to bringing almost a hundred ‘hookers’ together for creative socialization, 

and providing an opportunity to exhibit their wares,

this ‘hook-in’ featured a ‘history of hooked rugs’.  To bring this exhibit to fruition, Lynn and Dianne scoured the region, followed up on stories they’d heard from fellow artisans who hooked together during the year, and made numerous contacts with people they’d never met. The resulting exhibit contained antique rugs, story mats (some with their own histories), hooked portraits, old rug hooking books, vintage patterns, and a collection of antique hooks.

Antique Hooked Rug

Story Mat

Hooked Portrait

Old Rug Hooking Books

Vintage Patterns

Collection of Antique Hooks

 

William Blake described energy as ‘eternal delight’  - the energy donated by Lynn and Dianne in bringing together this exhibit certainly brought delight to many – and it vibrantly illustrated the historical duality of rug hooking, a craft of necessity to warm cold floors and an art form to chronicle the lives of its makers.

The 'history of hooked rugs' exhibit was a highlight of Festival 2012 ... thanks to all who contributed .... and special kudos to Lynn and Dianne for their inspiration and ‘energy’ in bringing it all together!

N.S. Fibre Arts Festival Volunteer: Dwight Gallagher

Waterloo Region Museum Volunteer Logo

Featured Festival Volunteer: Dwight Gallagher

By: Joan Beswick

This image from the Waterloo Region Museum says it all – volunteers are indeed a ‘gift to the community’. Like many community organizations, the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival depends almost exclusively on volunteers. Volunteers staff festival committees, contact artists, develop programs, liaise with local businesses, deliver brochures, arrange publicity, prepare exhibits, give demonstrations, serve at festival headquarters ... and do a myriad of other jobs, all of which are crucial to the success of the festival.  We are totally indebted to our festival volunteers, and over the next few months, this blog will feature some of them, people who work behind the scenes or in the forefront, who donate their time and skills and are rarely acknowledged for all that they contribute. Some are fibre artists themselves. For others, fibre is part of the daily diet, a hook is for hanging clothes, and needles are for inoculation. But they can organize, write, make contacts, do the groundwork – everyone has something to offer, and we thank them all. 

One of the volunteers at headquarters during the 2012 Festival was Dwight Gallagher from Springhill.

Like many fibre artists, Dwight got started because of the influence of friends and family. About ten years ago, he took a course for beginning rug hookers with two colleagues from work. Then, inspired by his mother-in-law’s quilting, he used his artistic skills to adapt quilt patterns to make hooked mats.

Dwight now dyes his own wool and has a ‘stash’ in the basement. He can be seen at Frenchie’s searching for hooking materials. Indeed, he shows all the signs of being ‘hooked on hooking’, including being always ready to offer support to others, as can be seen in this whipstitching demonstration at festival headquarters during the 2012 festival. 

Dwight is now the Cumberland County area director for the Nova Scotia Rug Hookers’ Guild and he is a much appreciated festival volunteer. Many thanks to Dwight and all festival volunteers – you are a gift to the community – we could never do it without you!