Artist Statement
Rebecca Hooper is a fiber artist based in Newport, Oregon, transforming retired commercial fishing gear into large-scale woven work. Rooted in maritime material and coastal ecosystems, her practice explores the tension between industry and the marine environment.
My work begins at the dock. I weave with retired fishing rope sourced directly from Newport’s commercial fishing fleet - lines that have logged thousands of miles in the Pacific, hauled crab pots, and endured seasons of use before they were no longer viable for the job. This material does not come from beach cleanups. It is redirected from the landfill or donated by local commercial fishers who understand and support this work. That origin matters. The history embedded in these lines is inseparable from the pieces they become.
I transform these materials into large-scale woven pictorial work. Where traditional tapestry uses fine wool weft, I weave with 3/8 and 7/16-inch fishing rope; where cotton seine twine once formed the warp, trawling nets now take its place. Reclaimed crab rings and repurposed steel frames serve as both loom and structure.
My use of these materials developed through several years of production weaving, where I explored retired rope through functional forms while building technique, consistency, and relationships within the local fishing community. That foundation established the material language I now use to create one-of-a-kind, concept-driven work.
With formal training in aquatic biology, I bring a scientific understanding to both the materials I use and the marine ecosystems they represent. This practice pushes pictorial weaving beyond traditional scale and context, bringing it into spaces where it exists within the same coastal environment it represents.
I think of the work as translation - maritime material rendered into images of the living systems that sustained it. The commercial fishing industry and the marine environment exist in real tension. I do not try to resolve that tension, but hold it through material, process, and form.
Artist Bio
Rebecca Hooper is a full-time studio artist working under the name Gypsea Weaver Studio in Newport, Oregon. She has over 20 years of weaving experience, with a background that spans traditional textile techniques, functional weaving, and large-scale contemporary fiber work.
In 2021, she began working with retired commercial fishing rope, initially exploring the material through functional forms. Between 2021 and 2024, she developed the techniques and material systems that now define her practice, while building relationships within the Newport fishing community and establishing a successful retail business.
In 2024, she presented her first solo exhibition at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. In 2025, she closed her retail studio to focus exclusively on one-of-a-kind work. Her 2026 solo exhibition at the Newport Visual Arts Center marks a continued shift toward large-scale, concept-driven fiber art.
Hooper holds a Master of Science in Aquatic Biology and brings that perspective into her work, bridging marine science, material culture, and contemporary fiber practice.
CV
Education
2022 M.S. Aquatic Biology
Solo Exhibitions
2026 - Weaving Currents: Maritime History and Marine Ecosystems. Runyun Gallery, Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, Oregon
2024 - Weaving Maritime History. Fiber Art Gallery, Lincoln City Cultural Center. Lincoln City, Oregon
Juried or Curated Small Group Exhibitions
2025 - Woven Worlds. Runyan Gallery, Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, Oregon
2024 - Cycles of Nature. Pacific Maritime Heritage Center, Newport, Oregon
2024 - Oregon Coast Council for the Arts, Member's Show. Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, Oregon
2023 - Art Studio Tour exhibit. Chessman Gallery, Lincoln City Cultural Center, Lincoln City, Oregon
2023 - Oregon Coast Council for the Arts, Member's Show. Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, Oregon
2022 - Phantom Gallery. Art Toledo, Toledo, Oregon
2022 - Mayor's Art Show. Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport, Oregon
Unjuried Art Community Exhibitions
2025 - Something For Everyone. Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport. Oregon
2024 - Celebrating Creativity. Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport. Oregon
2023 - Celebrating Creativity. Newport Visual Arts Center, Newport. Oregon
2022 - Push Pin Show. Newport Visual Art Center. Newport, Oregon.
2022 - Tiny But Mighty. American Tapestry Alliance, Knoxville, Tennessee.
Committees
2026 - present - Small Business Development Center Advisory Committee
2025 - present - Newport Public Arts Advisory Committee
Active Memberships
Oregon Coast Council for the Arts
Fiber Art Now
Tapestry Weavers West
American Tapestry Alliance
Surface Design Association
Economic Development Alliance of Lincoln County
Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce
Training and Workshops on Weaving and Business