Northwoods Fiber Guild 2026 Gallery Exhibit: “From Our Hearts & Hands”

The Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is pleased to announce its next exhibit, titled "From Our Hearts and Hands," featuring work from the Northwoods Fiber Guild. This showcase brings together a diverse community of over 40 makers to share their love of fiber through a wide variety of techniques and skills.

The centerpiece of this year’s exhibition is the Cook County Chair of Hope, a project born from a story shared in an interview with Boreal Community Media published in November 2025. Local resident Cheryl Larsen detailed her 2023 encounter with the "African Dream Chair" in South Africa, a collaborative work by beadworkers, many of whom lost their financially bread-winning partner to HIV/Aids and now create as an “income source and a path towards regaining dignity and agency.” 

After hearing a presentation by Larsen about the African Dream Chair, local artist and organizer Marlys Johnson sought to bring a similar project of connection to Cook County. She envisioned a piece that could bridge community divisions through fiber arts, and the resulting centerpiece features the collaborative work of over 20 fiber artists who contributed individual pieces to create a vibrant, upholstered “whole.”

Using a chair recycled from local thrift store Oddz and Endz, the project focuses on the importance of every participant in building a stronger, more unified future. Visitors are invited to interact with the chair by taking a moment to “pause,” “sit a spell,” and reflect on their own hopes for a chaotic world. Accompanied by a journal of the artists' creative journeys, the Chair of Hope will continue its travels across the county following the exhibit. 

The Guild has a history of community involvement through various fiber arts projects including craft demos in front of JHP during the Grand Marais Art Festival or at North House Folk School, creating reusable bags for the Grand Marais Public Library, and working with local students at the school, just to name a few. 

“From Our Hearts and Hands” opens on January 30, with a reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The exhibit will run through February 22. Bonus: During “Hygge Week” (2/6-2/16), hosted by Visit Cook County, JHP will be serving tea and hot chocolate during regular gallery hours! 

Admission to the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery is free, with donations graciously accepted. 

To see the most up-to-date gallery hours, visit: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/johnson-heritage-post-art-gallery