An Té a Choimeádann an Tine, Coimeádann Sé an Teach

[English translation from Irish: Who Keeps the Fire, Keeps the House]

2025; charcoal, graphite, screen printed tea towels, stone dust; series of eight, each 26” x 17”

Across cultures, proverbs function to persuade, teach morals, and reinforce identity. They also reflect the values, social norms, and power dynamics of their time, often preserving assumptions that feel outdated. Who Keeps the Fire, Keeps the House is a series of tea towels printed with proverbs exalting the value of hard work. Each represents one of the numerous immigrant groups that came to Barre to work in the granite industry starting in the late 19th century. Within a few years, many immigrant men brought wives, children, and relatives from their home countries. By the early 20th century, Barre had thriving ethnic neighborhoods with households, businesses, and places of worship. It was the arrival of women and children that transformed Barre from a transient labor camp into a permanent immigrant community. While the skill, commitment, and hard work of these granite workers are undeniable, they depended on a network of support. Women sustained households through invisible labor; they worked in local businesses and volunteered. Their contributions enabled men to work in the quarries or in the plant. These tea towels, dirtied with stone dust, are an ode to these women and their contributions to Barre’s rich granite history.

Pictured for Fracture Point at The Granite Museum in Barre, Vermont.