Fiber Arts exhibit in North Augusta features South Carolina artists

Samantha Winn, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·2 min read

Aug. 4—A new fiber arts exhibit is open at the North Augusta Arts and Heritage Center.

The Upcountry Fiber Artists, a group of six artists from across the upstate of South Carolina, specialize in quilt-like artwork.

Up to 150 pieces of artwork are on display. Their art features detailed stitching patterns and creates realistic, abstract and modern pieces.

Mary Anne Bigger, the executive director of the North Augusta Arts and Heritage Center, brought in these arts because of their skill and uniqueness to the area.

"We want to have new things so people can come in and go, wow," Bigger said. "When they came and showed me some of their work and looked at our space, we jumped at the opportunity to have them displayed here."

Cnythia Steward, one of the six fiber artists out of Simpsonville, SC and part of Willowside Studio, met the other artists through an international quilting group called Studio Art Quilt Associates, or SAQA.

Steward moved to South Carolina from Arizona within the past several years.

"One of the things that I've learned a lot about since coming here was the historic indigo crop which I have always been interested in doing indigo dying for a number of years," Steward said. "When I came here I found out there was actually a time we were actually growing indigo here in South Carolina during the colonial period."

"So that was an interesting tie-in for me, because I find indigo an interesting way to do my art and to find that there was actually local tie-in kind of made it a little more important for me and that was something I was starting to focus on a little bit," Steward said.

Several of her pieces in the show feature indigo dyeing processes.

Steward's pieces can only be found in exhibits, like this one, or through contact online at her website.

The Upcountry Fiber Artists exhibit will be open to the public through August 19, with art available for purchase.

"It's just so unique and it's just so different," Bigger said. "Each of the six artists do something completely different. It's painting with fabric."

Samantha Winn covers the city of North Augusta, with a focus on government and community oriented business. Follow her on Twitter: @samanthamwinn and on Facebook and Instagram: @swinnnews.