The Blue Ridge Mountain Collaborative Tapestry, 2026. Artists, from left, Susan Gaire, Stephanie Lyon, Madelaine Hairrell, Betty Hilton-Nash, Susan Gaire, Kathy DeOrnellas, Anne Berg, Kathy Dennison, Jennifer Zia and Jacqueline Fay
By Gina Malone
A work that combines the skills of nine Western North Carolina weavers will be on display at Mars Landing Galleries + Arts Center through November 29. Titled The Blue Ridge Mountain Collaborative Tapestry, 2026, the richly colored 7’ x 3’ tapestry was the brainchild of Susan Gaire and contains 10 panels woven with wool, cotton, silk and other assorted fibers. Gaire contributed two panels, and additional panels were created by Anne Berg, Kathy Dennison, Kathy DeOrnellas, Jacqueline Fay, Madelaine Hairrell, Betty Hilton-Nash, Stephanie Lyons and Jennifer Zia—all members of the Asheville Local Cloth Tapestry Group.
Gaire cites as inspiration the Murmuration Collaboration Tapestry by 12 weavers from around the world who put together 24 vertical tapestries of a city skyline, each depicting an hour of the day and how the city looked at that time. Gaire envisioned a similar collaborative project featuring the Blue Ridge Mountains at sunset. “The project is meant to convey each individual weaver’s vision of what the Blue Ridge mountains at sunset means to them,” she says. “I wanted each weaver to feel free to use their creative inspiration to design their own panel, so the only constraints were some color coordination guidelines, the sett of the weaving and three ridge lines that run through the entire piece.”
Given the scope of the project, care had to be taken. “The vertical panels each had three mountain ridge lines that connected all the pieces together,” says Gaire. “Creating a weaving that is seven inches wide and from 17” to 34” high is especially challenging. Most of the weavers were in contact with their ‘neighboring’ weaver to ensure colors wouldn’t clash and mountain ridges and tones were aligned.”
Although coordination was involved and themes were shared, “We always wanted each piece to be unique,” says Hilton-Nash, “and that, I think, is the strength of the piece as a whole. It engages the viewer and invites them to spend time with each section as well as appreciate the piece as a whole.”
Plans are in the early planning stages, Gaire says, for another collaborative tapestry.
“Tapestry is alive and well in Western North Carolina,” says Hilton-Nash. “There is a dedicated group of tapestry weavers in this area. We have found a home at Local Cloth for education and study group opportunities. Now, Mars Landing Arts Center has widened our audience. We have shown our love for our home by using a medium that is unique and essential to who we are as artists.”
Mars Landing Galleries + Arts Center is located at 37 Library Street, Mars Hill. For more information, call 828.747.7267 or visit MarsLandingArtsCenter.com. Betty Hilton-Nash is preparing a group show of 3D work that will be held at the Focus Gallery at the Folk Art Center from March 6 to May 30 in 2027.
