ARTISTS SPACE

Fishing For Success

About The Artists

Jessica McGrath (she/her) is a textile artist based in Torbay, Newfoundland, originally from Labrador. She grew up in the woods of Labrador West, spending her time hunting, fishing, and exploring the outdoors, and spent every summer on the Northern Peninsula fishing for cod, mackerel, and squid. With a background in Environmental Applied Sciences and ten years working as an Environmental Technician, Jessica brings a deep connection to the natural world into her craft. She began rug hooking and tufting during the COVID pandemic and quickly fell in love with the medium. What started as an evening pastime has become a passion she hopes to pursue full time and share with others.

Instagram: @RuggerDuckies

Kelly Jane Bruton is an artist and educator-in-residence with Fishing For Success in Newfoundland. She breathes new life into discarded Newfoundland cod skins by transforming them into elegant leather. Her fine art textiles use intricate layers of stitching and paint to archive the fragile history of changing ecosystems. Ranging from wearable pieces to gallery objects, her work is a direct response to climate change and cultural loss. By repurposing traditional resources, Kelly moves beyond sustainability into environmental stewardship, creating art that serves as a sensory map of the past and a blueprint for a more hopeful, creative future.

Instagram: @artadventuress

Lisa Sheppard is a textile artist and rug hooker based in Paradise, Newfoundland. She took her first rug hooking course in 2019 at the Anna Templeton Center and has been immersed in the craft ever since. Lisa is currently a Textile and Apparel Design student at CNA, where she has expanded her practice into dyes, knitting, apparel creation, and embroidery. She is a member of the Rug Hooking Guild of Newfoundland and Labrador and is working toward her rug hooking instructor certification. A Strongwomen competitor, mother of three, and lifelong maker, Lisa sees textile creation as an expression of inner energy, rooted in tradition and love.

Instagram: @lisasheppard13

Megan Hutchings is a textile artist from Newfoundland. In 2017, she was one of nine youth artists across Newfoundland and Labrador selected to create the Wish 150 Cod Mosaic installation, displayed at The Rooms throughout the summer. She graduated from the textiles program at the Anna Templeton Centre in 2018. Megan currently focuses on natural dye techniques and creates clothing from upcycled and thrifted materials, bringing a commitment to sustainability into every piece.

Instagram: @wastenotwearz

Upcoming Event

Common Threads, Living Seas: A Community Rug-Hooking Project

St. John’s, Newfoundland

Common Threads, Living Seas is a community rug-hooking project led by Fishing for Success in Petty Harbour, NL. Local textile artists are travelling to schools across the greater St. John’s area, inviting youth to add their own stitches to a large collaborative rug inspired by ocean health, ocean careers, and sustainable fishing. Students are encouraged to bring fabric scraps from home, each carrying its own story. The finished rug will be unveiled at a community celebration at Fishing for Success on June 6 or 7, featuring a touch tank from the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium and rug hooking demos. The rug will then be gifted to the newly opened Seafarers’ Centre in St. John’s for permanent display, a gift from the children of Newfoundland and Labrador to those who venture on the sea.

More info to come!

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