Anna Boutin-Cooper practices fiber arts – arts which are sometimes called craft, arts which are at times practical, arts which tend to belong to our grandmothers and women, and which are therefore devalued in the art world.
She practices these arts to connect with her ancestry, the women who were relied upon to create in order for themselves and their families to quite literally stay alive.
Anna’s artistic practice includes weaving, photography, hand quilting and sewing, and embroidery. She has a creative mind, and is consistently learning new arts and skills — currently, she is teaching herself drawing and pursuing a MA in English at Westfield State University.
Original research also plays a large part in Anna’s creative practice. Currently, she is researching the history of hand weaving in rural Québec, the settler home of her paternal family line.
Anna at home, summer 2022.