Lying in the cool grass, clouds floating by. As certain as the sky is blue, Eileen McVay-Lively knew that she would always need to be creative.

McVay-Lively’s work spans a range of media, with sewing as the creative thread. Her artistic pursuits are guided by what moves her in the moment. For the artist, the exhilaration of each new project is palpable and presents an opportunity to push creative boundaries beyond the finished piece before.

McVay-Lively served as Director of Fiber Arts for the Long Island Craft Guild in New York, where she curated gallery exhibitions, produced fashion shows and developed programs in the textile arts. An invitation to be the first Artist in Residence at Rowe Conference Center brought her to western Massachusetts. Her work has been featured in many gallery exhibitions in New York and New England.

The artist’s journey continues to be an adventurous one, taking winding roads in many different directions. Still, McVay-Lively marvels that she always seems to land where she needs to be—right here in the moment.