Gallery

The Barre Opera House has a volunteer run gallery space in our lobby for local artists. This space is a wonderful opportunity for community arts organizations and individuals to showcase their work and a great way for us to have interesting rotating exhibits throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about our lobby gallery, please contact our gallery curator, Angie Grace at 802-456-7094.

Now Showing!

MOVING ON - Fiber Arts by Doris Florig

Influenced by the "back to the land movement" of the early 1970's, I immigrated to Canada with my future husband Dennis Clancy. Like everyone else living in this remote region of northern Ontario, we established our "family farm" and learned to become self-sufficient. Since restaurants, movies and events were few and far between, entertainment was up to friends and neighbors. Social gatherings consisted of evenings with friends who sat around and made things:

music, art and dinner. Surrounded by practical and creative people, inspired me to learn to spin wool and to weave on handmade portable looms.

I have spent the last 30 years looking over shoulders, asking questions, reading and experimenting with weaving techniques. To continue the interaction with other weavers and fiber artist I established a weavers guild and weaving school which has been in operation since my return to the US.

In 1979, my husband and I decided to return to the US and settled in Vermont. My first 10 years were spent raising two sons, (Kyle and Rie) and weaving rugs to cover the hardwood floors of our Victorian home in the village of Hyde Park. Once the floors were covered and the boys no longer in need of homeschooling, I began weaving two and three dimensional abstract wall pieces and free standing structures.

My excitement in weaving is now in designing for both indoor and outdoor locations. I am inspired by the architectural surroundings, the environment and the people sharing those spaces. I focus on site specific installations which enable me to dye my own fibers and create very large weaving to meet the needs of the surroundings.

Artist Statement

I never seem to get frustrated or stuck, I just keep moving. When things get difficult I just take a different path. Eventual, things always workout. Life is constantly evolving so I just go with the flow. Since I weave the way I flow through life, my weavings just evolve. I am surrounded by projects in progress and don’t feel the pressure to complete them. They will get done, it just takes time. I don’t waste time on frustration. I move on to something else; come back later. I use past experiences to build and grow with something new. Eventually, everything falls into place. I just continue with a steady pace. Sometimes I just wait for the reaction of the fibers to show me what to do next.

My current exhibit at the Barre Opera House entitled MOVING ON has come at the perfect time. It has given me the added incentive to organizing, re-evaluate and complete projects in preparation for moving. Dennis and I are leaving Vermont for life on board our 44 foot cruising sail boat. We will sail the Carribean and Latin America. Learning about weaving is an on going process. Now I will have the opportunity to learn weaving techniques alongside local craftspeople. I will adapt their techniques to suit my needs, which will lead to new directions in my world of fiber arts. I can’t wait!