Holding Up the Moon

Deanne Fitzpatrick is an artist with a studio and gallery in Amherst, Nova Scotia with over 30 years of experience working in the traditional craft of rug hooking. Raised in Newfoundland, she grew up surrounded by rug hooking; her parents and grandparents hooked rugs from worn wool clothing, creating both functional floor coverings and objects used for trade within the community.

Deanne recognized the quiet beauty, storytelling, and cultural significance embedded in these rugs and began reimagining the tradition as a contemporary art form. Through her work, rug hooking moved from the floor to the wall, becoming a powerful medium for narrative, memory, and place.

Her series, Women Holding Up the Moon, explores strength, resilience, and the unseen labour carried by women. The series is both visually striking and conceptually rich. 

"I explore my relationship with responsibility, aging, and self-understanding. I look closely at who I feel I need to be and what I believe I must do, and contrast that with what is actually required of me. This is a story many women share. 

I explore these ideas by hooking each image one loop at a time, discovering along the way that my own expectations often stand in contrast to what others truly expect or need from me. More often than not, it is my self-imposed expectations that create unrest and dissatisfaction. 

I know I am not truly holding up the moon, yet at times, I still feel as though I must. This exhibition is about releasing self-expectation, softening that burden, and keeping my feet firmly on the ground." 

Pictured left: 

Making Friends with the Moon 30" x 23"

Passing on the Moon 24" x 30"