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A Weaver’s Journey: from Stick Shelters to Jacquard Weaving with Mary Burns
Join fiber artist Mary Burns for a presentation covering her lifelong fiber journey from childhood stick shelters to rug weaving, from wall art to natural dyeing and eco-printing, and jacquard weaving. Mary will discuss various styles of weaving that she has done, including shaft-switching and jacquard. Featured will be her two jacquard weaving exhibits. The “Ancestral Women: Wisconsin’s 12 Tribes Exhibit” focuses on woven portraits of an elder woman, one from each of Wisconsin’s native tribes and an additional 12 complementary weavings. Mary’s newest work is “Women and Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World,” completed in 2023. Water is the source of all life. In many traditional cultures, water is imbued with feminine roles and symbolism. This exhibit celebrates and honors water by portraying women who work with it, protect it and advocate for it. Featured are women scientists, water-walkers, teachers, farmers, activists and healers, who all hold deep connections with water. This globally-inspired exhibit will help develop and strengthen our own ties with water and inspire actions to further protect our waters.
Mary Burns Bio
Mary Burns is an award-winning fiber artist and master weaver. Mary’s Ancestral Women Exhibit (2016) features woven portraits of an elder from each of Wisconsin’s 12 Native tribes, along with 12 complementary weavings. Mary’s newest exhibit, Women and Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World (2023), features women who work with and for water across the globe. The exhibit is composed of 29 woven portraits of 39 women from over 20 countries, plus the Arctic and Antarctic. Mary also weaves custom-designed jacquard weavings and wall pieces in addition to felting, natural dyeing and eco-printing. Mary has participated in numerous science and art collaborations beginning with Paradise Lost? (2006), which examined the impacts of climate change on Wisconsin. She has been an artist-in-residence at Andrews Experimental Forest, Oregon, as well for the University of Wisconsin Trout Lake Limnology Station. She also has taught various fiber arts workshops for over 30 years.
“My weaving career began in a high school. It was one of those ‘the light went on’ moments. I loved everything about it and have never stopped loving it. My daily practice includes centering myself in the natural and spiritual world, designing, weaving, and creating with yarns and threads. The spark that inspired me as a teenager continues to light my path. I want my work to engage people. I want to interact with them and inspire them.”
Mary Burns
Manitowish River Studio