Folly Cove Designer Talk and Book Signing with Author Elena Sarni

Manship Artists Residency and Rockport Public Library will present an hour-long book talk with Elena M. Sarni, author of Trailblazing Women Printmakers: Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios and the Folly Cove Designers at Rockport Public Library at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 22. The event is planned in coordination with Gather 2025, a month-long exploration and celebration of fiber and textile art in the Greater Boston area.

Sarni was formerly the assistant curator at the Cape Ann Museum and her book is the first comprehensive history written about The Folly Cove Designers (1941-1969). The predominantly women-based block-printing collective was founded in Gloucester, Massachusetts by Caldecott Award-winner and beloved children’s book author and illustrator Virginia Lee Burton Demetrios (of The Little House and Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel fame). 

One of America’s longest-running artist collectives, the trailblazing group produced more than three hundred distinct designs, which they block printed onto fabric. The intricate eye-catching designs conveyed personal and regional narratives through the use of shared design principles and the compelling language of pattern. The group was propelled to international fame through commercial contracts with major retailers (F. Schumacher, Lord & Taylor), articles in leading periodicals such as Life, and participation in seminal fine craft exhibitions. 

The publication Trailblazing Women Printmakers documents and celebrates the group’s tremendous success and the remarkable artistry of its members. While work of the Folly Cove Designers continues to inspire contemporary printmakers around the globe, particularly women printmakers, it remains relatively unknown in a broader context which Sarni’s book seeks to redress. Trailblazing Women Printmakers is Sarni’s debut book and was awarded the 2024 Historic New England Book Prize.

The Manship family was related by marriage to several Folly Cove Designers. The acorn press formerly owned by designer Eino Natti is part of Manship Artists Residency’s collection. The press is currently on loan to Gloucester’s O’Maley Innovation Middle School to enhance curriculum designed by the Cape Ann Museum and funded by the Gloucester Education Foundation. 

The hour-long Book Talk event will be held at Rockport Public Library at 17 School Street, will begin at 5:30 pm, and will be followed by a Q&A session. Books will be available for purchase thanks to Susie’s Stories, and the author will be available to sign copies.

Reserve your FREE spot by clicking HERE.

ABOUT ELENA M. SARNI

Elena M. Sarni is a humanities-based scholar, writer, and curator. She holds a BA in English and an MA in History and Museum Studies from the University of New Hampshire. She has worked at several museums and historical societies throughout New England and has held fellowships at Historic New England and New Hampshire Historical Society. 

ABOUT GATHER 2025

Gather 2025 is a month-long exploration of fiber and textile art in Greater Boston, highlighting the vibrancy, breadth, challenges and future of this tactile medium. Gather 2025 is partnering with area institutions to bring an exciting program of exhibitions, events, lectures, research presentations and hands-on participatory events.