A successful art exhibition by Maitland Support Group attracted both publicity and financial support in December.

Titled Looking through windows in the time of COVID-19, the exhibition featured fibre art by Helen Tolhurst – the Leader of Maitland Support Group. The exhibition was formally opened by Cassie Morgan, Support Group Coordinator of Parkinson’s NSW.

Helen Tolhurst is a retired GP who is living with Parkinson’s. She has been working with embroidery, fabric dyeing, felting, and beading for more than 40 years.

Her works in the exhibition were mixed media – some made with hand-made felt which is created from wool and silk fibres, and others with a base of synthetic fabric which was hand dyed.

The works were hand embroidered with wool, silk, cotton, and synthetic threads.  Some of them also included pieces made from polymer clay.

In addition benefiting from funds raised on the day from sales of the artworks, the craft group from the Walker Grange Lifestyle Village made a generous donation of $1,000 to the Maitland Support Group.

The Group plans to use the donation remote car racing, African drumming, and the formation of a choir.

The Maitland Support Group was established in 2019 and grew quickly from 12 participants to more than 70.