Badge of Awesome Communities invites you to share your favourite things to see and do in cool destinations around the world. We caught up with the folks from Englee’s Hooked Mats and Glass Art — one of our featured attractions from Newfoundland & Labrador — to learn about what they have to offer.
What makes Hooked Mats and Glass Art awesome?
“On the Great Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland & Labrador, at the end of Route 433, your will find the picturesque Town of Englee. Englee is nestled at the base of the mountains and bordering the shoreline. Englee’s quiet harbour is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by the magnificent Bar’d Island.
The Englee collection of hooked mats is unique in that there is no other collection like it anywhere. It is different in that the collection of over one hundred mats were done by a group of former fish plant workers who lost their jobs when the fish plant in Englee closed permanently.
These people trained in the art of mat hooking. As trainees they followed steps to transform pictures into works of art. Sometimes the participants did their own art work, used photos or made use of pictures that were readily available. They learned how to transfer the images to burlap, secure the burlap to a traditional wooden frame and cut the materials needed to make pieces of art. Each mat is as different as the person who created it. No two pieces are exactly alike.
Glacier Glass is a glass art studio located in the Town of Englee, each piece was handcrafted locally. Our studio has a variety of decorative pieces for your home, jewelry, gift ideas, special occasion pieces, and lots of unique Newfoundland & Labrador items available for retail.
The Hooked Mats and Glass Art can be viewed at the Englee Municipal Building located at 22-24 Main Street.”