HISTORY - HOW LAKE AREA FIBER ARTISTS WAS FORMED

In the mid-2000s, the local yarn shop at Lake of the Ozarks closed.  For years it served not only as the local source for fine yarn and classes, but as a meeting place for knitters and crocheters to gather, work on their projects, and share camaraderie.  When the shop closed, for several years ladies were meeting in 2s and 3s or at the library to knit together.  Forming a guild was discussed but never acted upon.

It was March 2007 when Robin Jones called a meeting and invited many of the social knitters...8 attended.  Robin said

“Okay, everyone give me $12 and I’ll write By-laws.  We’ll meet again a month from now.”  The Lake Area Fiber Arts Guild was born! (Renamed in 2013 as Lake Area Fiber Artists)   A newsletter was prepared occasionally and mailed out to those who did not prefer to receive it by email.  The $12 in dues covered postage, ink and incidental expenses connected with our meetings.   In the first year, by-laws were prepared to guide how the guild would operate and these have been updated over the years since (see next section below).

Originally, meetings were held in the Camden County Museum of Linn Creek, Missouri.  Membership numbered around 20 with average monthly attendance of 8-11 members.  

Meetings were moved to Harper Chapel in Osage Beach as the group expanded to include spinners, weavers, crocheters, and other fiber arts.  The space at Harper Chapel became too crowded so meetings were moved to the meeting room at Central Bank in Camdenton, Missouri.  In the spring of 2020, Central Bank closed their meeting room to the public due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

For about a year, meetings were held in assorted locations and finally were welcomed and settled at Community Christian Church in Camdenton where the guild now numbers nearly 100 members with average monthly attendance of 32-35 members.

The First Fiber Arts Festival was held in 2005, jointly with the Camden County Museum Spring Craft Show. In Spring, 2008 a separate fiber-only event was sponsored by the guild and in 2014 that free-admission event was moved to October.

Currently the Lake Area Fiber Arts Festival takes place on the 2nd Saturday of October every year at the Community Christian Church in Camdenton, Missouri.

Lake Area Fiber Artists meet on the second Thursday of each month at Community Christian Church in Camdenton.

11  - 12  Social/sack lunch (bring your own)

12  -  12:30  Business Meeting

12:30 – 1:00  Show and Tell

1 – 2  Program/speaker

Annual Dues: now $20.  Guests may attend 2 meetings before becoming a member.