<strong>By Mindy Lucas</strong>

Thanks to a new website and an upcoming show at USC Beaufort’s Center for the Arts, the Lowcountry’s fiber arts community is enjoying a little well-deserved limelight lately.

Often overlooked, or not as well-known as other fine arts, fiber arts uses textiles such as fabric, yarn or other fibers and materials to create works of art.

As artist Linda Sviland explains, some artists use the medium to create extraordinary handcrafted works that can either be displayed or even worn. Others use the medium to convey certain themes or messages often producing thought-provoking, sculptural-like works of art.

“We have a much more diverse group than one approach for creating fiber arts,” said Sviland, who serves as co-president of The Fiber Artists of Beaufort, or FAB.

The group of about a dozen area artists, hopes to bring new awareness of the art form – not only as a craft or fine art, but as a means of artistic expression as well.

From tapestry weavings that take their cues from current events or issues, to hand-painted silk clothing, the exhibition called “Fabulous” showcases a broad range of contemporary textile art. The exhibit will also feature demonstrations of the techniques and creative processes used in some of the artists’ work.

Many of the artists are affiliated with galleries in Beaufort and Bluffton and teach across the U.S. and internationally.

Sviland says she thinks the public will come away with a new appreciation for fine arts.

“This is a neat way to sort of open people’s eyes not just to what we do as individuals but to the art form as well,” Sviland said.

“Fabulous” opens on Jan. 5 and runs through Feb. 15. The USCB Center for the Arts is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Admission is free of charge. Masks are required to enter the building.

For more information or to view artists featured in the show visit www.fiberartistsofbeaufort.com.

Fiber artist Kim Keats, whose work is pictured here, will be one of about a dozen artists featured in “FABulous” — a fiber arts exhibit coming up at USC Beaufort’s Center for the Arts. Photo courtesy of The Fiber Artists of Beaufort (FAB).