Fiber Arts Festival

The Chippewa Valley Museum in Eau Claire's Carson Park is hosting its seventh annual Fiber Arts Festival on Saturday, February 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Grab your passports to travel through a fleece-filled wonderland of yarn and wool. Explore the galleries to watch live-action flax-working, fabric dyeing, cordage making, rug hooking, hand spinning, and more.

Over 30 regional fiber artists, along with several local groups and guilds, will offer educational displays, information, and mini-lessons. A diversity of themes from Native American art to bobbin lace will be represented. Visitors are welcome to try out several different mediums and participate in a variety of fun, hands-on, and family-friendly activities throughout the day. Many artists will also have items available for sale.

New in 2016! Jason Anhorn of the Starvin' Carvists will present an ice sculpture demonstration in celebration of the fiber arts and wintertime culture in the Chippewa Valley. Festival goers can venture outdoors to watch the sculpture come to life. They can also enjoy a special exhibition on painted barn quilts and view fiber art entries in an outdoor judged competition.

The museum's ice cream parlor will be open for customers wanting to purchase hot chocolate, coffee, tea, and other refreshments. Soup and sandwiches will be available to buy during lunch time. Proceeds will benefit summer programming for children.

This year's event is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funds helped to document and preserve the stories of regional fiber artists, which can be accessed on the museum's wiki, ChippePedia, at www.chippepedia.org.

Admission: $7 for adults, $4 for ages 5-17, free for ages 4 and under and Chippewa Valley Museum members. Contact Karen Jacobson at 715-834-7871 or k.jacobson@cvmuseum.com for details.