Starting from the text of Charity and Sylvia, we’ll look at the aesthetic choices available to Charity and Sylvia and explore how American LGBTQ+ artists have used fiber as a medium of expression, visibility and remembrance. Beyond the practical aspects of how a fabric functions, we’ll explore how fabric is designed for beauty and delight. We’ll peek into monumental twentieth-century craftivist projects, like the AIDS Memorial Quilt, highlight some under recognized queer figures in American fiber arts and explore how contemporary queer fiber artists use some of the techniques appearing in Charity and Sylvia in their own works.
About the Speaker
Pamela Wilson is a visual artist and community organizer. With a practice based out of Studio Place Arts in Barre City’s historic downtown, she focuses on place-based making, materials studies and traditional handcraft techniques. In addition to making and exhibiting throughout New England, she organizes art-gatherings and third-space art experiences that invite participants to engage in collective handwork and intergenerational learning. Her current third-space projects include long-term residencies at the Aldrich Public Library, the White River Craft Center and Green Mountain Linen. Her work is available to view at www.pamelalynnwilson.com and on Instagram at @pamelawilsonstudio.
About the Fall Festival 2026
Each year, our Fall Festival celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month in October and reminds Vermonters of the impact and breadth of the humanities. This year’s Fall Festival 2026: Our Woven History recognizes the stories contained in our Vermont Reads 2026 book, Charity & Sylvia by Tillie Walden, while also commemorating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
Please contact us at info@vermonthumanities.org for information on disability services. To request a specific accommodation, contact us at least three weeks prior to the event. Vermont Humanities strives to provide accommodations whenever possible. All event locations are ADA accessible.
