Chimneyville Weavers & Spinners

Founded in 1980, the Chimneyville Weavers & Spinners Guild is a community of fiber artists dedicated to preserving, practicing, and sharing the practice of handweaving and spinning in Mississippi. What began as a small gathering of fewer than two dozen weavers has grown into one of the state's leading organizations for fiber arts education, bringing together makers of all experience levels to learn from one another while keeping historic textile traditions alive. The guild adopted its current name in 1994 to recognize the growing role of spinning alongside weaving within its membership.

Based in the Jackson area, the guild serves as both a space for learning and a public resource. Monthly meetings feature demonstrations, workshops, guest instructors, and opportunities for members to share new techniques and finished work. Through these gatherings, experienced artisans pass along practical skills and traditional knowledge while encouraging new generations of fiber artists to explore weaving, spinning, dyeing, and related textile arts.

Education and public outreach have been central to the guild's mission since its founding. Members regularly demonstrate their craft at museums, festivals, and community events, helping audiences better understand the journey from raw fiber to finished cloth. Their annual “Sheep to Shawl” demonstration traces the entire process—from shearing wool and preparing fiber to spinning yarn and weaving fabric—offering visitors a hands-on look at techniques that have shaped communities regionally and beyond for centuries. The guild has also hosted regional conferences, organized traveling exhibitions, and maintained longstanding partnerships with the Craftsmen's Guild of Mississippi and the Handweavers Guild of America.

Today, the Chimneyville Weavers & Spinners Guild continues to celebrate Mississippi's rich fiber heritage by fostering craftsmanship, education, and community. Whether demonstrating historic techniques, mentoring new makers, or exploring contemporary approaches to traditional materials, its members share a common commitment to ensuring that the knowledge, creativity, and cultural significance of handweaving and spinning remain vibrant parts of Mississippi's living traditions