Bob Webb and Heidi Muller will provide the music during an opening reception Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 for the "Threads of Expression" exhibit at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture. 

JOSEPH — The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, 403 N. Main St., opens the fall exhibit “Threads of Expression: A Fiber Arts Odyssey” on Oct. 11 with a reception at 7 p.m.

This event is free, including the opening reception. The show continues through Nov. 16.

This fiber arts exhibit is intended to highlight the tapestry of possibilities within the realm of fiber arts. It is being curated by Susan Pesti-Strobel, an award-winning Wallowa County fiber artist.

The displayed works will include various fiber art forms using traditional techniques as well as contemporary interpretations to illuminate the possibilities of creating art with fiber.

The opening reception will feature music from Heidi Muller and Bob Webb, who play original songs and traditional tunes with guitars, mountain dulcimers, mandolin, and electric cello.

Heidi is an award-winning songwriter whose “Good Road” was the theme song for Northwest Public Radio’s “Inland Folk” show. Bob played in the original house band for NPR’s “Mountain Stage” radio show in Charleston, West Virginia. They now live near Joseph, where they teach and record music at their Mountain View Recording studios.

The reception also will feature complimentary sushi and a cash bar.

Workshops

Complementing the exhibit and providing a deeper dive into the world of fiber arts, the center is offering a series of introductory fiber arts workshop events:

• Stitched Spirit Cloth: A two-day workshop with Pesti-Strobel sponsored by the Soroptimists of Wallowa County. She will teach simple techniques of designing, cutting, layering and stitching, guiding students in the creation of what is best described as a “spirit cloth.” Oct. 12 and Oct. 19, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Registration and fee required.

• Wet Felting Workshop with Jennifer Hawkins: Hawkins will explain the history and teach this millennial old technique, the active process of wet felting, on Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration and fee required.

• Introduction to Mini Loom Weaving: A two-day workshop with Amanda Brimm, who will teach the ancient art of tablet weaving, an inexpensive and portable form of weaving. Nov. 6 and Nov. 16, 1-3 p.m. Registration and fee required.

• Exploring the Art of Quilting — from Gee’s Bend to Your Story with Judy Allen and Eileen Trudeau. This lunch-hour discussion with a show-and-tell is an interactive event for quilters and the quilt-curious to learn the history, artistry and evolution of quilting. Attendees are encouraged to bring their quilt art to display and discuss. Nov. 12, noon, free and open to the public.

To register for the events or for more information, visit www.josephy.org, call 541-432-0505, ext. 2 or email exhibits@josephy.org.