The Great Falls Public Library is hosting a presentation on the “Montana Fibershed-Connecting Montana Folks with Montana Fiber” at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 26.

“Montana Fibershed seeks to educate Montanans on the benefits of a place-based, local fiber system. A parallel concept to the local food movement, this local cloth movement highlights the origins of our fiber and clothing. Just like our food, our natural-fiber clothing also comes from the land,” according to the library.

The program will be available to watch in person at the library or online with registration here.

The concept of a fibershed, a term coined by Rebecca Burgess, and popularized in her 2019 book of the same name, has spread worldwide, according to the library.

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“Like a watershed, which defines a catchment and drainage area for a given landscape, a fibershed is a geographically-defined area in which natural fiber resources are produced and then used by the people living within its boundaries. Montana Fibershed seeks to educate Montanans on the benefits of a place-based, local fiber system. A parallel concept to the local foods movement, this local cloth movement highlights the origins of our fiber and clothing. Just like our food, our natural-fiber clothing also comes from the land. We are working to connect our fiber producers, the farmers and ranchers, to our local designers, makers, businesses, and other end-users of Montana-raised natural fiber, and in so doing, to bolster the Montana textile economy and its supply chains, and to promote regenerative agricultural practices for healthy soils and a more balanced ecosystem across our great state,” according to the library.

The presenters are:

Helen Harris: a professional artist who’s medium includes weaving, stitching, dyeing and mineral pigment painting. She holds degrees in textile design/weaving/mixed media art, from Northern Illinois University.

Harris is a current board member of the Montana Fibershed and took part in the organization’s debut event, the Farm-To-Fashion show.

Barb French: a maker with a life-long devotion to natural fibers. French studied music and languages at Montana State University, graduating with a bachelors in French. She received her masters in education from Tennessee State University, as well as her certificate in English as a second language. French owned a yarn shop in Bozeman in the 2000’s and the focus of her teaching turned toward the fiber arts of weaving, spinning, knitting, and others. French is member of the original steering committee and now a board member.