A Virtual Lecture with Polly Forcier on Stenciling

Polly Forcier will present a virtual lecture on Historic Stencils from  1790-1840+. Beginning with “Border Wall Stencils” from c.1790-c.1820, she will then discuss all-over wall stencilsin imitation of wallpaper. She will go on to discuss the stencils used in the Rufus Porter School of Wall Stencil Murals. She will end with a brief "how to" on stenciling. 

As a teacher, artist and historical preservationist, Ms. Forcier has dedicated over four decades to promoting the historic art of wall and floor stenciling and mural painting. After she and her husband moved into a c. 1790 home she decorated many rooms with historic stencils instead of the more expensive wallpaper. Subsequently she began decorating homes for friends and relatives, and teaching with her growing stencil collection. As demand for her historic stencils grew, Ms. Forcier established her new business MB Historic Décor.

Her work has been featured in Early American Life, Country Living, Colonial Homes, Antiques Magazine, Colonial Reproduction and Design 2005, Old House Interiors, Old House Journal and others throughout the 1980s-2020s. She serves as an advisor for the Center for Painted Wall Preservation, which preserves records of original paint decorated walls. She is a recipient of the 2022 VT Craftsman of the Year Award.Ms. Forcier attributes her longevity and success to her genuine love of this art and the desire to make it available to others.

Tickets are free, with a suggested donation. Donations can be made on our website, www.rufusportermuseum.org or by clicking here.