Mary Burns (Mercer) is an award-winning fiber artist and master weaver. Mary’s Ancestral Women exhibition features woven portraits of an elder from each of Wisconsin’s twelve Native tribes along with twelve complementary weavings. Mary’s newest exhibition, Women and Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World, features women who work with and for water across the globe. The exhibit is composed of 29 woven portraits of 39 women from 20 countries, plus the Arctic and Antarctic. She weaves custom-designed jacquard weavings and wall pieces in addition to felting, natural dyeing, and eco-printing. Mary has participated in numerous science and art collaborations as well as artist residencies.
“My weaving career began in a high school. It was one of those ‘the light went on’ moments. I loved everything about it and have never stopped loving it. The spark that inspired me as a teenager continues to light my path. I want my work to engage people. I want to interact with them and inspire them. Jacquard weaving has become an essential element in my art.”
