Savory Maine Dining & Provisions in Damariscotta begins an exciting new season of art exhibits with “Hooked on Maine,” a love letter to the place this group of contemporary rug hookers calls home. From Penobscot Bay in the north to the marshes off Bath in the south, the nooks and crannies of Maine come alive in the medium of wool and will be exhibited from February 13 through March 25.

An opening reception for these fiber artists will be held on Friday, Feb. 21 from 3 to 5 p.m., with delectable finger foods.

Rug hooking is an early craft that grew out of economic necessity when what was in the proverbial rag bag was what ended up in a rug. This craft has continued to be a medium to interpret our lives in the 21st century. Today’s rug hookers have an abundance of fabric, wool, yarn, sari ribbons and even some glitter wool to play with and turn into a delightful colorful art show.

This group of rug hookers has met regularly at Wildwood Studio on Westport Island for seven years. Their time together spent in class, hook-ins, and day trips has added to the dimension, knowledge and variety to what each woman chooses to hook.

The fiber artists

Susan Schweigard of Wiscasset, has captured the familiar icon of the lobsterman and his boat off the coast in her charming hooked pictorial that invites you to hop on board the boat for an early morning ride out into the harbor. Her rug, “The Running of the Alewives,” takes you the route of the migratory alewives into the village. Done as a night scene with the moon and light on the water, Schweigard has captured the frenzy of the fish as they travel upriver.

Beth Quivey of Wiscasset lives surrounded by woods. She chose the barred owl as subject for her rug. This rug says it best with the oft repeated refrain, “Who Cooks for You?”

Charlotte Henry of Boothbay Harbor enchants with her depiction of her favorite view from her cottage off Southport. This view soothes as it reflects a quiet contemplative experience. Henry hooks in a very fine cut and renders the tiniest details.

Elaine Eskesen of Damariscotta brings her love of color to her brilliantly colored boats tied up at the dock in "Rowboats." The textured water comes alive in sculpted waves of bright blue in this rug. Eskesen is known for her color sense.

Catherine Dupuis-Tait of Bath brings a quiet sensitivity to her world of marshes and abstracted landscapes. Each of her framed pieces is a jewel when viewed closely.

Georgia Sledge of Westport Island shows where she sails in the summer. “Harbor Island” is a landmark on the way to many other destinations. One summer day Georgia found herself in Portland with spare time, so she drew a row of buildings near the waterfront. Soon the softly colored buildings were expressed in wool in an unusual image she calls “Portland’s Lego Blocks.”

For Diane Langley of Westport Island, island images are a favorite to both paint and hook. She has depicted the scene from Great Spruce Head Island commemorating her Art Week there, and the beginning lines of her poem “One Fog Washed Day in Summer” run around the outside border. Langley's “Welcome” mat with the bright red lobster will greet you as your enter the exhibition space.

The Hooked on Maine exhibit is in Savory Maine’s main dining room.

Savory Maine is open five days a week, serving lunch and dinner, at 11 Water Street. Monday and Thursday through Saturday hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with brunch and dinner on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The restaurant sources most of its food from Maine and 99 percent of it is organically grown, wild harvested, or grass fed.

For more information, call 207-563-2111; like Savory Maine on Facebook, or visit savorymainedining.com.