TRACING THE THREADS

Weaving in the Arkansas Ozarks

Tracing the Threads: Weaving in the Arkansas Ozarks

On exhibit from March 9 through December 31, 2024

A wooden loom with an orange, brown, and green-striped scarf with a white trim and tassels hanging from it as it’s being woven. Behind it is a tapestry of various shades of green and mauve with a design involving stalks and leaves. This exhibition traces the history of handweaving in the Arkansas Ozarks over the past two hundred years with a special emphasis on the importance of the Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild in supporting this craft tradition. The guild is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024 with a series of programs and exhibitions at sites across the region.

To the right is a photo of a tabletop loom by Lily Mills circa 1950 and a tapestry titled Cat Tails. Lily Mills of North Carolina made weaving yarn and sold this loom to help sell their yarns and threads. This loom is on loan from the Northwest Arkansas Handweavers Guild. The tapestry behind the loom was woven in 2017 by Beverly Maloney of Cave Springs based on a drawing of cattail plants she did many decades before.