The local art scene will add a new thread this week, with “The Art of Fiber” exhibit, at the downtown Brownwood Art Center, showing through the month of June.

    Fiber art, and/or textile art, is “fine art whose material consists of natural or synthetic fiber and other components, such as fabric or yarn. It focuses on the materials and on the manual labor on the part of the artist as part of the works’ significance, and prioritizes aesthetic value over utility,” according to Wikipedia.

   For the newest division of the Brownwood Art Association, the Fiber and Textile Arts group is that, and more.

    “Imagine a club meeting where everyone is stitching, or knitting, or embroidering. And we’re talking about spinning and weaving and dyeing. And we’re making art,” says Cary Perrin, treasurer of the Brownwood Art Association (BAA), and a founding member of the new Fiber and Textile Arts group.

    “We are a very diverse and skilled group of artists and crafters,” Perrin said. “We have a lot to say, with our particular art. This exhibit puts that in the spotlight.”

     The Fiber and Textile group first met in March 2022. Craig Seger, then-president of Brownwood Art Association, was so impressed with the quality and diversity among the group, he suggested an exhibit.

    “We are delighted to have this opportunity,” Perrin said. “And I think anyone who sees this exhibit will immediately recognize this as a viable art form, in all its expressions.”

    “The Art of Fiber” exhibit opens June 2 at the Art Center’s traditional First Thursday reception, and will be on display through June. The opening reception, from 5 to 8 pm, is open to the public.

   The month-long exhibit includes special demonstrations, such as Spinning & Weaving, by members Linda Morris, Cary Perrin and Greg Hancock, June 12, from 1 to 4 pm, in conjunction with the Downtown Brownwood Second Saturday event.

   The “Adventures of Ice-Dyeing” will be presented Saturday, June 25, 11 am, by member Joan Stewart.

    A Tactile Textile Table, or “Fiber Petting Zoo” gives visitors the opportunity to handle a wide variety of fabrics, yarns, raw fibers and other materials.

   “One of the many attractions of fiber art is how the materials actually feel – the ‘hand,’ Perrin said.  “We obviously don’t want our visitors to touch our art work – think ‘towel’ and how it absorbs everything. But we want folks to experience the feel of a fiber – known as the ‘hand’ – because it is such a fundamental part of the artistic expression. So we have an entire table of touchables … the Fiber Petting Zoo!”

   The Art Center, at 215 Fisk Ave. in downtown Brownwood, is open 2 to 6 pm, Monday through Friday. For further information on the Brownwood Art Association or the Fiber and Textile Arts group, call 325-641-2916, or visit www.brownwoodart.net.