Handcrafted fabric pieces reflect decades of experience rooted in family teaching, memory, and everyday making.
Dryden Crafter Francine Higgins Showcases Handcrafted Textile Art at 2026 Spring Arts Exhibition in Northwestern Ontario
The 2026 Spring Arts Exhibition in Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario is proud to feature Dryden-based crafter Francine (Fran) Higgins, presenting a thoughtful collection of handcrafted textile work that reflects decades of creative practice rooted in Northern Ontario arts and everyday craft traditions. The exhibition runs until May 20, 2026 at the Dyment Recreation Hall.
Born and raised in Dryden, Ontario, Higgins’ creative journey is closely tied to family, place, and lived experience in Northwestern Ontario. Raised by her parents, Louis and Madeleine Toussaint, she developed an early appreciation for the outdoors and rural life—spending time at local beaches, fishing, picking blueberries, and visiting with family and friends across the region. These experiences continue to inform the grounded, tactile nature of her craft.
A strong influence in her development came from her mother, a school teacher who introduced her to sewing, cooking, and reading at a young age. Higgins recalls learning in the kitchen, watching her mother sew garments, and wearing handmade clothing created just for her. These early experiences sparked a lifelong connection to fabric work and traditional textile arts in Northern Ontario.
Sewing has remained central to Higgins’ artistic practice. From using her mother’s green Elna sewing machine to receiving a Kenmore machine upon graduating high school in 1977—still in use today—her relationship with textiles has been continuous and deeply personal. Over the years, she has explored many forms of crafting, but always returns to sewing as her primary creative outlet within the broader landscape of Dryden arts and Northern Ontario craft culture.
Today, Higgins describes sewing as her “happy place,” where focus, memory, and creativity come together. Her textile work reflects care, patience, and a strong connection to handmade tradition, contributing an important craft perspective to the 2026 Northwestern Ontario arts exhibition.
When she is not working with fabric, Higgins enjoys reading, walking her dog, and spending time with her husband—maintaining the balance between daily life and creative practice that continues to shape her work.
About the Exhibition
The Spring Arts Exhibition runs until May 20, 2026 at the Dyment Recreation Hall in Melgund Township, Northwestern Ontario. Gallery hours are Mondays and Wednesdays from 1–4 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to noon.
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