Celebrating 50 years of Fiber Art and Artists in the Zumbro River Valley
Our celebrating started with a member’s tea party which included several of the original members. A fabulous lunch of festive sandwiches, sweet treats, and teas were served. Afterwards our members showed off some of their favorite creations. So much talent in this group!
The year 2025 marked 50 years of creativity, community, and a shared passion for all things fiber in the Zumbro River Fiber Arts Guild.
What began with spinning and weaving has grown into a vibrant community of artists exploring everything from knitting, crocheting, dyeing, and felting to embroidery, rug hooking, surface design, and up-cycling. Our members—ranging from beginners to experts—are united by a love of learning, teaching, and creating.
Through workshops, hands-on programs, and shared inspiration, we’ve helped hundreds expand their skills and discover new fiber techniques. We welcome newcomers, encourage personal expression, and believe in the power of art to connect people.
Join us as we celebrate the past five decades—and look forward to the future of fiber arts in our region. Together, we’re passing on knowledge, inspiring creativity, and strengthening our fiber arts community for generations to come.
A time of sharing the joy of shibori dyeing was the first of several outreach projects for our anniversary year. It was all smiles and laughter as we helped fold, clip and dye the cotton bandanas with the clients at Ability Building Community.
Celebrating Fiber Arts is now on display at the Rochester Art Center featuring the rich and diverse world of fiber arts through member’s work. Framed and scroll-mounted works in the Entry Gallery highlight the beauty and function of fiber in everyday life. The atrium focuses on a multi-story fiberfill tougher with hoops filled with fiber art at each balcony overlooking the river. Read more here…
Family Fun Day was held at the Rochester Art Center. Guild members provided displays, make-it-take-its, story time and lots of love. Activities were fleece flowers, tissue dyed hankies, sew a stuffy creature, weave on a mini loom, spool knitting, and make a quilt square. There were knitting and spinning demonstrations. Read more..
The program, “Better Health at Our Fingertips,” was presented at the Leighton Auditorium, Mayo Clinic, on April 15, 2025. This program, which was open to the public, was done in collaboration with Mayo Chapter Sigma Xi, discussing the health benefits of practicing the fiber arts. A panel discussion among the experts was given as to why fiber artists and crafters have this experience and how we can all benefit from engaging in fiber arts. Read more here and watch the video.
Fiber Artists in the Zumbro River Valley
Our guild had its beginnings fifty years ago meeting at the Rochester History Center. As a part of our anniversary celebration, we return to these roots with exhibits and demonstrations from May – December 2025. Some of the many displays will include weaving, knitting, needlework, felting, spinning and more. The exhibit will also feature the work and stories of several guild members over the past 50 years. A rotating exhibit and associated Saturday hands on event focuses on a different fiber art each month. Read more…
In June, we hosted an outreach activity with ArtAblilities. Together we made felted soap and DIY felted soap kits. Each artist was able to take a bar of soap home with them and also make one for the ArtAbilities Art Show and Sale. One artist got the technique down quickly and made 8 bars of felted soap! Artists had fun picking out their favorite colors of roving and were amused that it came from sheep. ArtAbilities, a program of PossAbilities in Rochester, is a creative community where artists with disabilities, staff and volunteers gather in a supportive space to foster creativity and personal growth.
Joint Meeting with the Minnesota Quilters
Our 50th anniversary presentations at the Minnesota Quilt Guild, in October, were very well received. There were approximately 70 or so on the Thursday evening ZOOM and about 45 “In person” at the Saturday morning show. Everyone enjoyed seeing who we are, how we began and what we do.
They are celebrating their 50th in a few years and were very interested in how we obtained financial support and how we managed to plan the whole year’s events. Several of their members are members of our guild and were in attendance. They loved the “show and tell” of quilts and really had fun looking at the “fiber art in a valise.” It contained examples of many of the fiber arts our guild does. There was real interest in the drop spindle! Both presentations were a win win for me as the presenter. I got to talk to one of my favorite guilds about my other favorite guild. Leslie Hall.
Our Gala Celebration.
On Wednesday, October 15th we gathered to celebrate. One of the highlights of this party was the blue and gold challenge. Click here to see the challenge!
Rotating Exhibit Focus and Associated Demonstration Day at the Olmsted County Historical Society –From May to December we filled two rooms with our fiber art. One room showcased the variety of fiber art that our group creates. The second room changed each month to give a more thorough look at the techniques we use. One Saturday in each of those months, a focus group gave demonstrations and encouraged the public to get their hands on and make something.
A knitting demonstration day at the History Center was on June 14th was given by the Knitting Focus Group. This day was also Worldwide Knit in Public Day! Carolyn Barsness and Gayle Holter brought their circular sock machines to demonstrate. Several members of the knitting focus groups gathered to knit on existing projects and help the public with various make and take projects.
May was the Weaver’s opportunity to shine. On May 17th several focus members demonstrated using different looms. Guests were encouraged to try their hand at weaving.
Saturday, June 19, the Surface Design/Dyer’s Focus group hosted a hands-on event for the public. Indigo Dye Day at the History Center welcomed 40 participants. Adults and children alike were excited and had fun awaiting their project of dyeing a scarf in indigo. It was such a fun day!
The Spinners Focus Group spent Saturday afternoon, August 8th, at the History Center demonstrating various spinning wheels and giving lots of information on how yarn is made.
The Creative Sewing Focus Group enjoyed a beautiful and highly successful exhibit during the month of September. The gorgeous colors of the items on display were outdone only by the diversity and number of projects. Dresses, jackets, shirts, skirts, pajamas, bags, accessories, and a baby outfit lined the walls and hung from clothing racks. Other items included vintage sewing notions, patterns and magazines, and a new computerized sewing machine alongside an antique machine. Adults and kids a like had an opportunity to sit and sew at the demo day on September 20th.
In October the Felting Focus Group made the display. On October 18 lots of people showed up to learn how to felt.
The Needle Arts Focus group created the display for November. On November 15th the group demonstrated different stitches for the public to try out.
The Quilting Focus group finished our year of display with a lovely display of quilts. A beautiful old bed frame was brought out to add interest to the room. Both traditional and contemporary art quilts were shown. On December 6th, the public was invited to design a block and play with fabric. Several placemats were stitched and donated to Wheels on Meals.
Our thanks and appreciation to Chris Delisle from the history center for all his help in creating these displays! We could not have done it without you!
We are grateful for the generous support of the Mayo Clinic, Sigma Xi, Rochester Art Center, Frandsen Bank and History Center of Olmsted County. Thank you!
