What began as a conversation over coffee among a handful of artists is now a regional effort to educate the masses about fiber arts.
Last year, fiber artist and Eau Claire Energy Cooperative member Ellen Nelson met with other like-minded artists from the Chippewa Valley at a local coffee shop to share their passion for creating with fiber. The artists quickly discovered they shared more than a love of textiles, yarn, wool, and fabric. They also shared a vision: bringing greater public awareness and appreciation to fiber art in all its forms.
That informal gathering became the foundation of Valley Fiber Artists, an offshoot of the Valley Art Association. The fiber artists consist of 11 members dedicated to promoting fiber as a fine art medium. The group is holding its inaugural exhibition this fall.
“Celebrating Fiber Arts” will run October 21 through November 18, 2026, at the Heyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa Falls. The show will feature artists from Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa with pieces that include quilting, weaving, felting, embroidery, eco-dyeing, knitting, rug hooking, and mixed media.
“It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity for people not only to view the artwork, but to meet the artists and learn how these pieces are created,” Nelson said.
The exhibit’s centerpiece celebration will be an Artists’ Reception on October 25 from noon to 3 p.m., featuring demonstrations, refreshments, music, and a wearable-art fashion show called “Strut Your Stuff.”
The idea behind the exhibit is simple: broaden public understanding of what fiber art can be.
For many people, fiber arts begin and end with quilts and knitted items. But artists involved in the exhibition say it is so much more than that.
“Fiber arts means using fiber, natural or artificial, and transforming it, often using traditional methods such as dyeing, knitting, embroidering, or weaving, into a personal narrative, commentary, or unique expression of beauty,” said artist Lillian Hillis, a member of Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative.
“I am an artist who has traditionally worked in acrylic, watercolor, and pastels, but who has somehow allowed fiber arts to sneak into my artistic life and take over,” Hillis said.
Her favorite fiber to work with is wool, and one of the pieces she plans to exhibit is a wet-felted landscape titled “Superstition Sentinel,” inspired by hikes in Arizona.
“It is special to me because it captures the beauty of the Arizona landscape,” said Hillis. “I experienced hiking in the Superstition Mountains area, and it gives the viewer a sense of grandeur with layers of mountain, rock, shrubs, and flowers.”
For Pamm Spooner, also a member of Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative, fiber art has been a lifelong exploration of texture, structure, and color.
A resident of Chippewa and Taylor counties her entire life, Spooner has spent more than 30 years weaving. Her work ranges from practical items such as scarves, kitchen towels, and rugs to more experimental wall pieces and installations.
“The fibers can vary from the finest silk to fluffy wool and sturdy linen or cotton,” Spooner said. “I am inspired by the colors in nature and the infinite structures of the woven cloth.”
Spooner believes many fiber disciplines remain underappreciated despite their artistic depth.
“The most commonly seen fiber art is quilting,” she said. “The weaving, felting, knitting, macrame, basketry, and “fill-in-the-blank” get overlooked, or seen as for old ladies, or too expensive.”
One reason she is optimistic about the future is the sense of community among fiber artists.
“I find the internet to be a great resource for those of us in rural areas to connect with fiber artists around the world,” Spooner said. “This wide community has the most knowledgeable and generous people I’ve ever encountered, who will share patterns, advice, fiber, and tools, and cheer your progress at every turn.”
But according to Spooner, nothing beats local connections.
“Having a fiber group right here in the Chippewa Valley is a blessing,” she said. “I anticipate the Valley Fiber Artists will be around for years to come to encounter more local fiber-interested folks.”
Part of the organization’s mission is ensuring traditional skills are not lost.
“We will be looking to pass on the skills, so these hands-on arts do not fade away,” Spooner said.
That sense of connection also appealed to Patty Wollum, a member of Eau Claire Energy Cooperative. Wollum is also a member of Riverland Energy Cooperative through her Blue Sky Retreat farm near Eleva.
Wollum’s specialty is eco-printing and eco-dyeing, a process that transfers colors and patterns directly from leaves and flowers onto fabric. The resulting textiles become quilts, garments, tote bags, and home décor pieces.
“This process allows me to spend time outdoors during the summer and fall, and in my sewing studio during the colder months,” Wollum said.
She believes the exhibition’s greatest strength is the diversity of work visitors will encounter.
“The show will highlight the limitless styles, colors, textures, designs, techniques, and uses that fiber offers an artist,” she said.
Wollum noted that throughout history, fiber has served practical and artistic purposes.
“Whether keeping a family warm with a quilt, telling a story through embroidery, weaving cloth for feed sacks, or stitching a flag to announce freedom, fiber has played an important role,” she said.
“Personally, there is nothing better than spending a few minutes quietly stitching to relax after a busy day,” Wollum said.
For Hillis, the organization fulfills both artistic and personal needs.
“For me, it satisfied a need to connect with like-minded artists,” she said. “I could also tell my husband that another artist’s looms and yarn and tools took up much more space than mine do.”
Nelson clarifies that the exhibition is more of an art exhibition than a traditional craft fair.
“While there will be items for sale, this exhibit separates itself from craft shows and fairs because the items displayed are fiber art,” Nelson said. “The emphasis of each artwork is on visual appreciation rather than functional practical value.”
The artists hope visitors leave the exhibition with a deeper understanding of the medium and the people who practice it.—Dana Kelroy, photos courtesy of Valley Fiber Artists
“Celebrating Fiber Arts” will run October 21 through November 18, 2026, at the Heyde Center for the Arts, 3 South High Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729. Exhibit hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m.—5 p.m., and Friday, 10 a.m.—4 p.m. More info is available at facebook.com/valleyfiberartists.