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Fiber Maine-ia is a collaboration of

Additional sponsors: Maine Fiberarts, Maine Folklife Center, Maine Sheep Breeders Association, USDA Farm Service Agency and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Maine Art Department, and other non-profit agencies, as well as commercial organizations.

Funding provided by USDA Farm Service Agency and the Maine Humanities Council.

For more information, contact Mary Bird, Chair of the Friends of Dr. Edith Marion Patch, at mary.bird@umit.maine.edu

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Fiber Maine-ia
A Celebration of the International Year of Natural Fiber

yarnIn response to the United Nations declaration of the 2009 International Year of Natural Fiber (IYNF), organizations all over Maine are joining together to celebrate the importance of plant and animal fibers in our state’s history and culture, and to explore fiber’s place in our agricultural and creative economies. Fiber Maine-ia events include

  • monthly brown bag lunch lectures and interactive workshops on Maine’s fiber farming, processing, arts, and multi-cultural traditions;
  • interactive gallery exhibits and programs related to textiles and textile tools at the Page Farm and Home Museum and the Lord Hall Gallery, both at the University of Maine;
  • Maine’s participation in the national “Make It With Wool” contest;
  • Fiber Maine-ia Web site linking users to resources throughout Maine, including other organizations, programs, and activities celebrating the IYNF;
  • a week-long fiber day camp for children in Kindergarten through grade 6, investigating fiber farms and production, fiber processing, and fiber arts and crafts;
  • programs and resources for teachers and students;
  • Senior College course on fiber in Maine;
  • special public programming during the August 2009 Maine Fiber Arts Weekend;
  • a statewide festival and conference to be held October 10-11, 2009, featuring lectures, workshops, and demonstrations on fiber production, processing, and creative enterprise; exhibits of textile arts; a fiber show and sale; and a fiber-theme musical performance.

See the calendar of upcoming events for dates and details.

The goals of Fiber Maine-ia are to

  • cultivate awareness of the importance of plant and animal fiber production to Maine’s history, culture, and economy;

  • inform beginner farmers and others interested in raising and processing fiber animals or crops;

  • inspire appreciation of the beauty and utility of natural fibers produced in Maine;

  • support networking among Maine fiber producers and consumers;

  • help increase marketing opportunities for Maine fiber; and

  • develop awareness of the impact of sustainable fiber production and consumption practices on our state, our nation, and our planet.

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