APPRENTICESHIP SUMMARY
This fiber-based apprenticeship pairs mentor Sarah Haskell with apprentice Amanda Pearson for 100 hours of one-on-one training, focusing on weaving, spinning, and sustainable practices. Amanda’s goals include learning to spin thread from various fibers, such as wool, flax, and paper, while also exploring plant harvesting for natural fibers and creating a safe, eco-friendly dye lab. The apprenticeship will also dive into weaving techniques, including loom mechanics, color theory, and various weave structures such as twills and tapestry. Finally, Amanda will work on creating a portfolio of marketable textiles using handspun and naturally dyed fibers, while also designing workshops for community-based and school groups to promote craft education and sustainability.
MENTOR
Sarah Haskell (York, ME)
Born and raised in New England, Sarah has a BFA in Textile Design from RISD and a Masters of Art and Healing from Wisdom University. As a seeker, maker and creative pathfinder her medium is most often thread, investigating the mystery of encoded fabrics and the hidden language of cloth.
Sarah has exhibited in regional and national shows at The September 11th Memorial and Museum, NYC, NY; The Maine Jewish Museum, Portland, ME; The Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA; Museum Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX ; Artists’ Museum, Washington, D.C.; the Portland Museum of Art, Portland ME; The Providence Art Club, Providence, RI; The Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, NH; George Marshall Store Gallery, York, ME and The Wichita Center for the Arts, Wichita, KA. Sarah is a 4 time finalist for the Greater Piscataqua Charitable Foundation. She is a 2021 Fellow for the Maine Arts Commission.
Artist residencies include Monson Arts, Monson ME, Monhegan Island, ME; Hewnoaks, Lovell, ME; Vermont Studio Center, Peters Valley Crafts Center, Layton, NJ; Acadia National Park, ME, Hambidge Center, Rabun, GA.
As an artist-educator Sarah guided residency projects and teacher training workshops in New England schools for over thirty years. The continuous foundation of her teaching has been to raise self-esteem and to build community through the textile arts.
Community art has been at the core of Sarah’s work for over 20 years. In 2002 she completed “Each One: The Button Project, a 9/11 Memorial” her first community art project, owned by the City of Portsmouth, NH. Her global peace project “Woven Voices, Messages from the Heart” concluded in 2012 after 4 years of successfully weaving community, peace and creative expression. Her latest community art project, “Well Used, Well Loved” (2015- 17) explored age, beauty, attachment and impermanence using a handwoven dishtowel and reflective writing.
” Amanda is self-motivated, resourceful and a quick learner, giving her the capacity to be an excellent apprentice” – Sarah Haskell
APPRENTICE
Amanda Pearson (Gorham, ME)
Amanda is an artist and lifelong learner with a deep connection to the traditions and landscapes of Maine. Born in Ohio and raised in a single parent family in Maine, Amanda spent her childhood summers exploring the creeks and marshes along the Maine shoreline, as well as helping with haying on her aunt and uncle’s farm in Windham.
Her early years were also shaped by learning traditional Maine crafts and values from her extended family members, who taught her skills like caning chairs, broom-making, and the art of frugality. These formative experiences inform her artistic practice and creative approach.
Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Beloit College before spending her first year out of college working in the semiconductor industry. However,her passion for the arts led her to Ireland, where conversations with performance artists in Killarney inspired her to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time artist.
Upon returning to Maine, she took a job as a stone carver in Rockland, balancing two fulltime jobs while embracing the seasonal rhythms of the craft. She also spent a summer lobstering with her brother out of Falmouth and later worked on a scallop dragging boat in Eastport, Maine. Her journey led her to Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, where she took classes and spent two months at sea as an able-bodied seaman. While at sea, Amanda carved a wooden sculpture out of an old piece of timber from a 1700s-era building in Portland, further deepening her connection to Maine’s maritime traditions.
After a year living in Ohio and Kentucky, where she worked in the shipping industry and helped streamline processes between engineers and workers, Amanda and her husband, a retired Navy Chief, moved to Virginia. After returning to Maine, Amanda found the confidence to take up ice hockey at the age of 40, learning a new skill and competing in tournaments throughout New England as a goalie. She quickly immersed herself in the sport, gaining valuable lessons in perseverance and breaking barriers.
Amanda currently works at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard while continuing to nurture her creative practice. Her diverse experiences—ranging from traditional craftsmanship and hands-on work in Maine’s industries, to teaching and training in various professional settings—continues to shape her unique perspective as an artist.
“I want to work with Sarah because she sees my potential. Last fall, I reached out to her about applying to CAP. Through her connections in the weaving community, I recently acquired a free 4-harness floor loom. Her kindness and expertise will guide me in mastering techniques, exploring historical narratives and growing as both a maker and educator. Sarah’s “Well Used, Well Loved” project resonates with me, connecting weaving to community through craft and storytelling.” – Amanda Pearson