Sample of assembled lace triangles

Columbia Gorge Museum:
Lacing Communities Together

with Maggie Hensel-Brown

About the Project

The Columbia Gorge Museum: Lacing Communities Together project with lace artist, Maggie Hensel-Brown, is an initiative to engage curiosity and educate about the heritage artform of lacemaking. As ubiquitous as lacemaking is, and perhaps you have a lace story in your family that hovers around the edge of your family lore, the very heart of its existence is invisible…the makers.

Historically, lacemaking has been part of almost every culture for centuries. In many areas, it had a powerful economic impact and was a symbol of power and wealth. As such, it can be found in the clothing of the most powerful figures known, in their paintings, sculptures, and historical artifacts. Museum walls are lined with cuffs, ruffs, and embellishments that may have cost the equivalent of acres of land to purchase. Where are the names of time’s greatest lacemakers?

The Columbia Gorge Museum has evidence of handmade lace in its collections. While we have ample information about the makers of other objects, the stories of lacemakers are lost. It was this fact, and the introduction of lace artist, Maggie Hensel-Brown through YouTube, that the idea for the LCT project grew.

By participating in LCT, you are reaching back and lifting the very soul of all the women and men who created this beauty (and were left out of history) into the hearts of everyone who has ever picked up a needle, bobbin, or hook.

Friday, March 6, videos go live. Watch one or all five videos. Make as many triangles as you wish. Make your own Pacific Northwest themed triangles using the guidelines in the videos. Send your finished lace pieces by August 24, 2026. Check the calendar for COMMUNITY LACE JOINING events, workshops, lectures, and demonstrations from Hensel-Brown and other lace artists. Opening event revealing the final installation will be Saturday, September 12, 2026.

SEND FINISHED LACE PIECES TO:

Louise A. Palermo

Columbia Gorge Museum

990 SW Rock Creek Dr

Stevenson, WA 98648

Questions or if your community would like to join, email: l.palermo@columbiagorge.org

Maggie Hensel-Brown

Maggie Hensel-Brown is an Australian artist, working predominantly in needle lace techniques.

She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Newcastle in 2014, and in the same year opened a small gallery and workspace as a part of the Renew Newcastle initiative. She worked there as director and curator.

In 2015, Hensel-Brown took a class in Reticella at the annual general conference of the Australian Lace Guild. Since then, her practice has been dedicated entirely to lace making. She has travelled and studied needle lace in England, Italy, the United States, the Netherlands, and all around Australia.

Her lace takes techniques from various needle traditions to create contemporary imagery. Inspired by classical pictorial needle lace panels, Hensel-Brown’s work tells stories of the most mundane parts of her life: experiencing the highs and lows of the contemporary world. She has exhibited widely throughout Australia and the United States.

Hensel-Brown has an extraordinary talent in teaching lace techniques and inspiring today’s creatives with yesterday’s artform.

Instructional Videos

Video 1 Columbia Gorge Museum: Lacing Communities Together with Maggie Hensel-Brown Basics Part 1