Photo by KATE MARSH

Thanks to a generous donation by Linda Peterson of La Grande, Burns’ Frontier Art Center was able to establish a fiber arts studio and begin offering classes.

Frontier Art Center, located at 405 N. Broadway in Burns, now features a fiber arts studio, complete with many different kinds of fiber, looms, and other tools for weaving. 

Linda Peterson of La Grande — a very talented weaver of 30 years as well as a wonderful watercolorist and glass artist — gave the Frontier Art Center all of her weaving materials and equipment. 

The Silvies River Spinners, a local fiber arts group, was invited to hold their meetings at the art center and organize and use the donated equipment and supplies. 

This helped materialize Peterson’s vision of enabling the Frontier Art Center to offer fiber arts workshops and classes. 

As the weavers and spinners began organizing the space and labeling the materials, plans were suggested for needle felting, fiber dying, and weaving workshops and classes to use the looms and yarn. 

Anne Sheeter already taught a needle felting workshop, and another is being planned for late summer or early fall. 

The first weaving class will start at the end of March and continue for five more Saturdays. Weaving classes will be taught by Ginger Shive, a renowned weaver from Prairie City. 

Shive has been spinning and weaving since 1970 and teaching classes throughout Oregon. While living in the Sisters area, she owned a spinning/weaving shop called The Shearing Shed. She was recognized, along with other national spinners, in Paula Simons’s book, The Handweavers Guide to Selling. 

After moving to Prairie City, Shive focused on weaving, sharing her hand spun, hand woven pieces in a little shop. During that time, the Oregon magazine 1859 included her in an article about Eastern Oregon artists.

Four years ago, Shive gathered a few friends and formed the nonprofit Prairie City Fiber Fest, which brings together spinners, weavers, and crafters from across the Pacific Northwest. It has grown into a successful three-day event in late July, and several of our local artists have participated with booths showcasing their wares at this festival. 

With these exciting first classes, Frontier Art Center is well on its way to establishing a fiber arts studio to complement its pottery and painting events. All credit for establishing the fiber arts studio goes to benefactor, Linda Peterson.