A Ribbon Cutting for Creative Community: Driftless Fiber Arts Collective Weaves a New Chapter
September 3, 2025
On August 28, 2025, the Driftless Fiber Arts Collective marked an important milestone with a ribbon cutting at its downtown Lanesboro studio. More than just a ceremonial snip, the event symbolized the weaving of a new chapter for this creative hub—one that builds on its quilting-shop roots and extends into a vibrant future of collaboration, connection, and community-making. Surrounded by the closing exhibition of The Violet Collective: A Creative Call to CommUnity, guests celebrated both the art that had brought neighbors together and the exciting path ahead for Driftless Fiber Arts.
The Violet Collective: Stitching Unity and Creativity in Lanesboro
Launched in spring 2025 by the Driftless Fiber Arts Collective, The Violet Collective invited community members of all ages and backgrounds to create works blending red and blue into violet—a symbol of unity, collaboration, and shared purpose. Inspired by the national Violet Protest, the project showcased how art can bridge divides and spark connection.
The exhibition, The Violet Collective: A Creative Call to CommUnity, opened on June 20, the summer solstice, and featured fiber art, mixed media pieces, interactive stations, and live storytelling. It remained on view through Labor Day, drawing visitors and locals alike to reflect on the power of creative belonging.
A Space for Making, Mending, and Meeting
The Violet Collective isn’t an outlier—it’s a natural expression of what the Driftless Fiber Arts Collective was built to do. Housed in what was once a beloved quilt shop, the Collective has expanded its mission to welcome not only fiber artists, but writers, players, puzzlers, and curious creatives of all types. Its core mission is simple:
To provide the Lanesboro community, the greater Driftless region, and its visitors with opportunities to engage in creative endeavors—through words, craft, and play—in a welcoming, inclusive space.
The studio champions peer learning, hands-on experimentation, and meaningful connection. Whether through fabric, storytelling, or a shared board game, the Collective aims to build what author Robin Wall Kimmerer calls “intentional communities of mutual self-reliance and reciprocity.” In a world that too often rewards isolation and consumption, the Driftless Fiber Arts Collective offers something radically different: a currency of sharing.
Meet the Makers Behind the Mission
The work of the Collective is guided by a volunteer board of local artists, organizers, and educators who bring heart and vision to every project:
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President: Anna Loney
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Vice President: Rebecca Damron
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Secretary: May Himle
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Treasurer: Susan Ritter
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Board Members: Leah Steding, Lynn Susag, Jean Wigham
Together, they steward the Collective’s programming and keep the doors open for the community to gather, learn, and grow.
Come Join the Circle
The Driftless Fiber Arts Collective isn’t just a studio. It’s a growing circle—of creativity, of connection, of care. Whether you stop in during a ribbon cutting celebration, join a weeknight event, or bring your own project to share, you’ll find yourself in good company.
Follow along on social media, or better yet, walk through the door. There’s always a chair waiting, and always something new being made—together.
📍 Address: 108 Coffee Street East, Lanesboro, MN
🌐 Website: driftlesscollective.org
📧 Email: info@driftlesscollective.org
📞 Phone: (507) 467-2787
📱 Facebook & Instagram: @driftlesscollective