Mike Henderson, multi-media, and Jennie Lee Henderson, fiber and weaving, Nov. 2-26,2026

Coast Highway Artists Collective

New show features two local favorites

article by Rozann Grunig

Husband and wife artists Mike Henderson, multi-media, and Jennie Lee Henderson, fiber and weaving, are the featured artists at the Coast Highway Artists Collective in Point Arena. The opening reception is Friday, November 3, from 3 to 7 p.m. The public will have the opportunity to meet the artists, learn about their creative process and enjoy a wide-range of their works.

Jennie Lee Henderson is a familiar face at local craft fairs selling her hand-woven chenille scarves. She began her fiber art career while in high school designing, sewing, and selling hand-dyed clothing.  In the early 70s she studied weaving in Denmark where she bought her first loom.  After moving to the Mendocino coast in 1977 she took up spinning and sold her handspun knitted sweaters.  For the next 20 years, she expanded her knowledge of fiber, studying about wool and spinning, learning to felt, studying and collecting local plants for dying and basket making, exploring braiding and tassel making techniques, and continuing her weaving education.

In 2013, Jenny was invited to participate in an exhibit and cultural exchange with 12 renowned Mexican weavers in the exhibit Interweaving Cultures: The Meeting, an international gathering of weavers. Following the exhibit, the weavers traveled to Teotitlan del Valle, population 6000, located in the foothills of the Sierra Juarez mountains, 20 miles south of Oaxaca City. Founded in 1465 it is one of the oldest Zapotec villages in the area and a major weaving center.

When the weavers arrived, they were met with a huge banquet, musicians, a band and dancing. “It was a big deal in this town” Henderson said. She and the other American weavers had the opportunity to stay at the homes and studios of local weavers. They drew names out of a hat to match the weavers with Mexican weavers to host them. The next day they spent the morning learning the ropes, had lunch, and then for the next 5 days, spent every morning at the studios working with the local artists. Henderson noted “their studios are in their homes, so we ate with the families.”  Their trip also included excursions to the archeological digs and to the artisan craft markets in the area.

Today, Jennie’s studio is full of projects in progress.  It has several large looms, spinning wheels, baskets of weaving tools, bags of raw wool, and shelves of brightly colored yarns.  An award-winning weaver, Jennie has received national and international recognition for her handspun tapestry rugs.

Michael Henderson, a Mendocino coast resident since 1977, finds artistic expression through a wide range of art media. He began sketching in his early teens and is mostly self-taught. Along with a few high school and college art courses, he has developed a working familiarity with such media as sculpture, pit-fired ceramics, block printing, and photography. He has painted in acrylics and watercolor and drawn in graphite, charcoal, carbon, Conté crayon, India ink, and colored pencil. Mike has conducted drawing workshops at Gualala Arts for the past several years, a sketchbook journaling workshop last year, and is now offering personal drawing lessons at Henderson Studios Point Arena. Now in semi-retirement, he is focusing more time on his art and the development of the Henderson Studios’ growing public exposure.

This exhibit runs from Nov. 2 through Nov. 26. The Coast Highway Artist Collective is located at 284 Main St., Point Arena, next door to the Redwood Credit Union.

Regular hours are Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information or local artists interested in joining the collective should contact Ling-Yen Jones at contact@coast-highway-artists.com or visit the website at www.coast-highway-artists.com.

Artists from the Coast Highway Art Collective will also be showing works at the White Cap Café in Anchor Bay from Nov. 1 through Nov. 29. Works include photography, handmade books, jewelry, ceramics, watercolors and woodwork.