Exhibition - Painting With Fiber

An exhibition of traditional quilts by Martha Maples and felted artworks by Barbara Cade

During the month of February, The Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs is sponsoring a fiber arts exhibit, Painting With Fiber – an exhibition of traditional quilts by Martha Maples and felted artworks by Barbara Cade. This exhibit juxtaposes two fiber arts-forms, one using traditional patterns to create functional and artistic quilts, the other using fiber to create paintings.

Martha Maples began quilting twenty-six years ago where she has designed, created, and restored over one hundred quilts. The quilts are given as gifts to family, friends, and charitable causes as well as entered into various quilting shows. While living in Texas, Martha was a member of Baytown Quilt Guild and currently a member of the Hot Springs Quilt Guild and is a teacher for the Diamondhead Quilt Guild. Her passion is to teach beginners about the art and the importance of keeping quilt history alive.

Barbara Cade, a Hot Spring’s artist, creates and exhibits contemporary fiber artwork. She is involved in every phase of creating these works —weaving, spinning, dyeing, felting, and papermaking. She states, “My work results from my attempt to bring peace and harmony into my life and the lives of the people who view my work. Part of the peace comes from doing all of the work myself.” The Painting With Fiber exhibition features Barbara’s current felted pieces.

After Barbara received a BA from University of Illinois in 1962 she studied and received a MA from University of Washington. Her fiber artworks are included in the Tacoma Art Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum. In 2004, her felted landscape, Trip to Finland, was awarded the annual scholarship from Arkansas Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Both artists will give presentations at our monthly 3rd Fridays at the FAC, February 17th starting at 6:30pm, gallery will be open until 9:00pm.