Simply Stunning Work in Progress

Juni Van Dyke and Maggie Rosa discuss design elements of the Eastern Point panel.

Yesterday I had the joy to meet Juni Van Dyke and several members of the Rose Baker Senior Center art class. Juni and her students are working on a project titled Gloucester: A Community of Neighborhoods. Each fabric panel measures approximately five-foot square and illustrates through iconic imagery characteristics unique to Gloucester neighborhoods. The banner’s design in it’s entirety, along with the individual artist’s whimsical designs and choice of fabrics, is utterly captivating and a vibrant visual feast.

Maggie’s extraordinary interpretation of the archetypical Beauport window. The window’s mullions frame a collection of antique glass in varying shades of lavender to deep grape.

This is not the first grand scale project of it’s kind created by Juni and the fiber artists at the Senior Center. The banner titled From Sea to Shining Sea: Celebration of the American Landscape that is currently on view at the Senior Center lunchroom was also exhibited at the Lexington Heritage Center for six months, and it measures nine feet in height by thirty feet in width.

Lois Stillman’s elegant rendition of the birch tree clump at Niles Pond.

Eastern Point panel detail with Mother Ann and butterflies.

I am honored to have been invited to create a butterfly for the Eastern Point panel although I think they have it beautifully covered. The whimsical swirl of butterflies in the upper left corner was created by students at the Eastern Point Day School and the charming and detailed Monarchs fluttering around Beauport by Maggie Rosa.

Lois stands in front of the panel she designed. Note her genius interpretation of the Abram Piatt Andrew Bridge, replete with cars (click photo to see larger version) and including Nichols Candy House. Her deep love of trees is apparent in the exquisitely skilled manner she has stitched and pieced many different species of trees created for the panels.

As the work on Gloucester: A Community of Neighborhoods unfolds we’ll bring you more stories and detailed photos about this vibrant and captivating work of art in progress–there are simply too many beautiful tales to tell in one post!

Juni and Priscilla ~ Sunlight streams through the large picture windows of the second floor art room at the Rose Baker Senior Center.

Pauline, Juni, and Maggie

Juni and Maggie

15 thoughts on “Simply Stunning Work in Progress

  1. Thank you Kim for coming and taking great shots but most importantly inspiring us with your wonderful paintings and knowledge of the butterflies.
    Please do return to see more of the wonderful banners that Juni and her seniors have created.
    I am in awe of the talents of Juni’s seniors because it teaches me that each and every one of us has so much potential and that there is so much that we can all learn from each other.

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  2. At SeniorCare,Inc., we have been the recipient of a very special project that Juni directed: all 9 of the towns we serve have a separate framed fabic panel depicting each town’s (or city’s) unique history and/or character. Even the whimsical frames were an art project of Juni’s students, male and female. All panels hang in our conference room and are available for viewing to the public, should they wish to visit! Thanks Juni and Rose Baker seniors!

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  3. Thank you for your kind comments and thank you Mary Lou for sharing about the panels at Senior Care, Inc. The “GLoucester; A Community of Neighborhoods” is truly a heartfelt project, created by a talented and heartfelt group student/artists, and led by a courageous and heartfelt woman! I am looking forward to again visiting the project, in the very near future!

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  4. so proud of you Maggie – good to see you letting your artistic side come out to play!
    I love the whole concept – Maybe it’s something we could look into here in Taupo NZ.
    Love Liz

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  5. Love the banner Maggie – good to see you bringing yout your artisitic side to play!
    Maybe we could do something similare here in Taupo
    Love Loz

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  6. I love it! I think maybe Farnham ladies did one similar for the Millennium, but maybe we should get going on a project for the Queen’s diamond jubilee….imagine all three sisters involved in projects around the world!Love and congrats to the Gloucester ladies – Mary

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