Fiber Festival next week

The Copper K Fiber Festival, held now for a second year at the Copper K Barn in Whitehall is working on bringing public awareness to not only the fiber arts as an art form or handicraft, but reacquainting the professional and amateur artists, fiber animal enthusiasts and the ranchers in which it all starts from. "Fiber arts.... Getting back to its roots" is the mission of this festival.

This year's event is scheduled for Saturday, July 21 and Sunday, July 22.

The saying: eat local to support local farmers is one side to the agricultural aspect that represents Montana, the other being fiber and wool. Within these farms and ranches, the traditional techniques of fiber production and means of getting it to the public is sometimes challenging. We would like to bridge the gap and empower consumers with the knowledge and skills of traditional textile arts.

Fifth generation sheep rancher Kami Noyes of Ranching Tradition Fiber met Butte's Snowdrift Alpacas owner, Betty Kujawa at Kami's ranch in Whitehall for a one day fiber retreat. A friendship quickly grew and Kami asked Betty to join her in bringing a fiber festival to the country where the everyday farmers and ranchers of Montana's fiber animals lived. The Copper K Barn was the ideal location to host the festival. Being in Kami's family as a former lambing barn seemed to be the logical backbone of "getting back to its roots".

"You don't have to be a farmer or a knitter to appreciate the work that people are doing to keep these fiber art traditions alive. There are so many exciting things to see and interesting people to talk to who have devoted their livelihood to raising fiber animals, you just must go," Betty Kujawa

The festival hours are Saturday July 21 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday July 22 from 8 a.m. to 4p.m. This 2 day festival, located at the Copper K Barn, 786 Point of Rocks Rd in Whitehall Montana, is free to the public. This year up to 160 fiber art students are expected to register for classes. Over 25 vendors will display various stages of fiber, from raw, right off the animal to finished pieces of artwork.

There are several classes eligible for students 15-19 years of age to introduce the fiber arts to the next generation. They included drop spindle spinning, rug hooking, needle felting owl/chicken and triangle loom weaving. Class registration is limited and all course descriptions/information can be found online at http://www.ranchingtraditionfiber.com.