Two Years of Flax Knowledge with Green Mountain Linen

My time as artist-in-residence with Green Mountain Linen is coming to a close and this year’s East Barnard Linen Fair was a chance for our most recent cohort of flax and indigo artists to exhibit the work we developed together. My residency project with Robin and GML was two-fold. I made my own work and researched methods of growing small flax patches in my own community here in Barre and led two groups of artists to understand applications of the fructose indigo vat. The Linen Fair is our annual gathering to exhibit the work of the residency.

Nothing Wasted, Nothing Lost #1
Handwoven Linen and Indigo

This year’s research included trip to Northern Ireland, England and Belgium, visiting flax-producing regions and connecting with flax-focused artists. I visited with Simon and Ann Cooper, who have been farming since before I could walk. After a lifetime of growing food and fiber, Simon and Ann are researching maritime flax crafts. We took a deep dive into canvas and sailcloth, in support of their vision to revive plastics-free fishing in their region. Their handmade boats and fishing basketry are amazing.

Simon looking out at the river, in his Stroud studio.

In addition to making objects, the pair have spent decades studying historic rural flax production tools to develop homestead-scale tools for contemporary makers. You can see me teaching Eve Schaub how to use Simon’s equipment in her weekly update to the “Growing A Dress” project here.

During my trip, I also reconnected with Belgian artist Germana Tack, the first GML artist-in-residence. Germana operates a studio and guesthouse in Kortrijk, Belgium just a short walk from the Texture Museum. While traditionally trained as a weaver and textile artist, she pivoted to working sculpturally and has developed a method for working with aggregated tow flax akin to felting. We visited the atelier where she supports outsider textile artists in bookmaking and fashion projects and chatted about materials play and experiments we’re each excited to pursue.

Next year, Green Mountain Linen will bring in a new artist-in-residence to focus on the fine art applications of flax and linen canvas and I’ll continue teaching indigo and flax skills across New England. I’m grateful to Robin and GML for the deep dive into flax production and will be continuing to exhibit my this work in Central Vermont through the winter. Check out the GML website for their upcoming events and 2027 artist announcement. I’ll be announcing my 2027 exhibitions later in the fall.

"Unveiling Transformation" at Frog Hollow Gallery and State Craft Center

It’s been an absolute delight to work with Daniel, Alex, Shannon and the rest of the Frog Hollow family to present this body of ceramic, fiber and pigment work—most of which was developed over this last 2023-24 flood year. Yesterday, I spent the day onsite with a table of fiber tools, samples and little looms. Thanks to everyone who came to the demo and reception (and also got to enjoy Festival of Fools—Burlington’s annual international busking festival!)

Frog Hollow is both a gallery site and the non-profit State Craft Center for the promotion of find handcraft in Vermont. I’m really over the moon to be invited to show there. If you want to do a deep dive into the history of Frog Hollow and its origins within the Vermont Studio Craft movement, try this gem of a film from 1982 or the 2016-2017 seasons of Made Here that focus on the Artisans of Frog Hollow. I made sure to attend my Frog Hollow opening in a vintage Maggie Neale top from when Maggie was a young weaver in Chelsea, supporting herself and raising her sons. She’s been one of the elder craftspeople in Vermont who has consistently supportive of me through my parenting artist life and it was a job to choose a garment to wear from Maggie’s career retrospective at J. Langdon the evening before my opening.

Unveiling Transformation will be up at Frog Hollow until August 29th. Here’s the link some show images from the Frog Hollow Gallery website.


Where I'll be in 2023

I closed my private practice one year ago to focus on making and exhibiting new work for a period of time. It’s been a great year and I’m finally able to work through the long list of other artists, curators and collaborators I’ve been meaning to swap studio visits with. There’s been so many long, rich conversations about making and a few really satisfying collaborative projects.

It’s been an incredibly productive year. I’ve been developing my skills as a handspinner, branching out into bast fibers—particularly flax and linen, thanks to a scholarship from the Marshfield Weaving School Study Collection. I’ve been continuing to develop my natural dyes practice, stretching the potential of these fantastic colorants by using my exhausted dyebaths to make handmade paints and pigments, some of which I’ll be exhibiting this year at Minema Gallery in Johnson. I’ve also been back in the classroom thanks to a grant from the Artist-in-the-Schools Program, funded by the Vermont Arts Council and NEA, working with a mixed age classroom of 1-6th graders to develop their textile skills.

If you’re looking to purchase available pieces, work is regularly available at the following sites:

J. Langdon Arts and Antiques,
Montpelier, VT

Frog Hollow Craft Center
Burlington, VT

AVA Members Gallery
Lebanon, NH

And from me directly at the studio at Studio Place Arts in Barre, VT

Additionally, I’ll be exhibiting at the following sites in 2023:

The Vaults @ 28 Howard St.
Burlington, VT
Exhibition of smoke-fired wall tiles, curated by SEABA currently on view through spring

River Arts
Morrisville, VT
Featured artist in Home and How We Make It, 2/18-6/1 

Mad River Valley Arts
Waitsfield, VT
Design Made Visible: Ceramics, Glass, Wood and Fiber on the Table, 4/27-6/23
Exhibiting wood-fired and porcelain ceramics and new weavings

Minema Gallery
Johnson, VT
Potentiality, May 9th-July 8th
Exhibiting paintings, porcelain vessels and new weavings

White River Craft Center
Randolph, VT
”We Made It!” Vermont Weavers Guild Biennial Exhibition, 5/26-6/5

Crest Lincoln of Woodbridge
New England Wood Firing Conference Host Kiln Exhibition, 6/30-7/1
Woodbridge, CT

Worcester State University
Springfield, MA
New England Weaving Seminar Exhibition, July 20-23

The Kent Museum
Show TBA, 9/8-10/8
Calais, VT


In the Community: 


Through the support of the Vermont Council of the Arts, the National Endowment of the Arts, Harrisville Designs and the Vermont Weavers Guild, I’ll be an Artists-In-The-Schools resident artist at the Montessori School of Central Vermont in Barre through June. 

In the spring and summer, I’ll be growing flax and dye plants at the Elmwood Community Garden in Barre and holding “open garden hours” to talk with community members about working with natural dyes and fibers.

In May, I’ll be at Vermont Studio Center and teaching an Intermediate Tapestry Workshop at the Shelburne Craft School.

In June, I’ll be wood firing with fellow potters throughout the Northeast for the New England Wood Firing Conference and then again in August with a small group of potters in Massachusetts. 

And finally, I’ll be traveling around with UVM geographer Dr. Harlan Morehouse, interviewing other craft artists throughout Vermont who rely on land-based and place-based practices for a project on the ecology of art-making. 

I’m currently booked for commissions through 2023, but please be in touch if you’re thinking about 2024!

New Work at J. Langdon in Montpelier, November 5th-28th

Join us on Friday, November 12 from 5-8 for a reception for the new show of work at J. Langdon Antiques and Art in Montpelier, VT. This show will be the first opportunity my immediate central Vermont community has to view all the elements of my studio practice (clay, fiber, paints & pigments) in one grouping. It also includes the first batch of work available from my most recent wood firing with Sarah Burns at Sweet Fern Pottery in New Durham, NH.

This work will hang at J. Langdon from November 5th-28th and the gallery is open 7 days a week, 11AM-5PM. If you’re unable to attend in person, follow along via my Instagram or Julianna’s!

Images from Primary Focus at Minema Gallery, May 4-June 26

If covid made it difficult to get out to Minema Gallery in Johnson, VT to view Primary Colors, Kyle has posted some beautiful images of the show on their exhibition page and in the highlights on their Instagram. It’s been an odd season making work alone in the studio. One of the joys of working in a community art center is to have neighbors, friends and visitors flow through and watch work develop as the resident artists all dip in and out of each others’ lives on a regular basis. Georgia and I split our time up in the shared studio. We took to leaving lots of messages and little notes for each other, but it’s definitely not the same! This show was the first opportunity I’ve had to share with the wider central Vermont community what’s been going on this last year. Kyle and Michael did a beautiful job hanging work and it was a real delight to see the space.