Hello fellow Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh members!
I am excited to be writing this message to you as President of the Fiberarts Guild. First, I want to
appreciate Jasmine and everyone who has been so incredibly supportive and helpful as I begin
this new role in my journey with you. This has been my experience of the Fiberarts Guild since
the very beginning. From the members who encouraged me to join to my very first Fiber
Sunday. Encouragement and an incredible sense of welcoming. Whether you are a professional
fiber artist or are just exploring fiberarts as I was, I hope you will each join me in continuing that
welcoming spirit going forward!
If you are new to the Guild, I encourage you to get involved! Some of my very first experiences
were helping at the FGP booth at Handmade Arcade, making the artist gift bags for FI25, and
helping with the Portals project. These were wonderful learning experiences that gave me a
chance to get to know long-time members. And they were fun! So find a committee that
matches your interests and join in – I promise they will love to have you! Communications,
Programs, and FI 2028 are great places to start. If you aren’t sure where you belong, let’s talk!
If you are one of our treasured long-time members, I encourage you to stay involved! Several
of you have shared great ideas with me, but ideas without experience lead to events that
disappoint. So bring your enthusiasm to the Program zoom meeting and help us to build the
events that build our community. I especially urge you to team up with a newer member and
share your expertise along with your valuable experience. You AND the Guild will be the richer
for it!
At the Annual Membership Meeting in April, we adopted Vision and Values Statements. I
encourage you to read about the dynamic and inclusive community we envision so that we can
work together to inspire, explore, share new ideas, and promote an “appreciation and growth of
fiber arts for generations to come.”
I see my role over the coming year as helping members to make the Fiberarts Guild of
Pittsburgh everything we know it can be. Our Guild has something to offer artists and explorers
alike. I hope I can inspire you to be a part of creating a lasting impact and promoting an
appreciation of the fiber arts in our region and beyond.
Please feel free to reach out to me with your questions, ideas, and suggestions. And I look
forward to seeing you at an upcoming event!
With every best wish,
Kathie Hollingshead
President’s Message
