2013 Governors Arts Awards

New Hampshire Folk Heritage
Award Recipient: Barbara Fisher, Sunapee, NH

Barbara Fisher has been carrying on the New England tradition of braiding rugs from wool for more than fifty years. She is a long-standing member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and has been recognized in exhibitions for her exceptional craftsmanship and artistry. In 1999, Barbara was one of the traditional artists who represented New Hampshire at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and participated in the New Hampshire restaging at the Hopkinton Fairgrounds in 2000. Barbara has generously shared her knowledge of rug braiding with hundreds of students and started a “Barbara’s Get-A-Way Braiding” program to provide a unique retreat setting for in-depth instruction. Her definitive publication on rug braiding, Braiding with Barbara, is an important contribution to the documentation of the tradition.

As George Dorr III remarked in his support letter, “What can I say except that Barbara Fisher is one of a kind. As a folk artist, Barbara has produced, published, taught and shared. Her quality is unsurpassed.” 

Last updated: November 14, 2013