OLLI Exhibit at Southern Miss Showcases Member’s Wood and Fabric Art

Tue, 10/13/2026 - 12:19am | By: David Tisdale

New Orleans schoolteacher Maryann McClain hadn’t planned on switching careers until a friend encouraged her to take a summer cabinetmaking course at a local trade school.

That decision decades ago changed the trajectory of McClain’s professional life, as she left teaching for a newfound love of woodworking. Today, you can see the products of that passion in an exhibit of her creative work in both wood and fabric, titled My Creative Journey: Woodwork and Fabric Art, now through December at The University of Southern Mississippi’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).

“I fell in love with it (woodworking), even though I had no intention of becoming a woodworker,” McClain said of her career detour to art. “I just love putting things together, creating things.”

McClain completed the two-year cabinetmaking course and eventually set up a woodworking shop in her home’s basement, where she repaired and built furniture. In the years that followed, she expanded her artistic repertoire to include sculpting and fabric-based art, bringing the same creative energy to those genres.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the New Orleans area, McClain and her husband moved to Hattiesburg. They joined OLLI not long afterward, attracted to its educational and recreational programming and opportunity to make new friends in the area.

“OLLI is a special place,” McClain said. “There’s a real sense of community here. I would not have adjusted as well to the move to Hattiesburg without OLLI.”

McClain’s art has been included in multiple exhibits over the years, but the OLLI display is the first to feature her work exclusively.

“I’ve had my work exhibited before, but not for my own show,” she said. “It’s a real honor.”

OLLI Director Paula Mathis said McClain’s exhibit is “a beautiful testament to the incredible talent we have at OLLI.”

“It’s wonderful to showcase Maryann’s artistic versatility, bringing together completely different mediums like detailed textile work and beautifully crafted wood,” Mathis further noted. “We’re both honored and delighted to share her work with the greater Hattiesburg area.”

OLLI is headquartered in the Peck House at 321 Dr. Eddie Holloway Drive on the university’s Hattiesburg campus. Learn more about OLLI at Southern Miss.