BIDDEFORD — Looking to to check out some art with a historical Biddeford feel to it? If so then head down to Engine in downtown Biddeford for an art gallery featuring the work of artist Allen West, who specializes in textile pieces. 

The gallery runs from now until Nov. 4.

West, 28, a native of New York, obtained his master of fine arts in Fiber and Material Studies from the Art Institute of Chicago recently. Before that he had worked as a studio assistant to multiple artists in Maine. Now, West works as an artist in his studio in Philadelphia. Despite all the traveling, West says he loves Maine.

“I just keep coming back because it’s so nice here,” West said.

His upcoming exhibit at Engine, titled It Is Possible That, features two-dimensional works created through weaving, stitching, knitting and felt materials.

West has been working on the exhibit for about two years, and will showcase work from 2015, as well as pieces he’s just recently finished.

“I started with this idea that I was seeing a problem with the way people were getting information,” West said. “It wasn’t necessarily a problem in the way the information was discovered, but the way it was transmitted. All this was before the election and before things got crazy, and it felt a lot less dire when I started.”

Engine’s Executive Director Tammy Ackerman said the art gallery is excited to feature West’s work, and called his medium fitting with the history of Biddeford.

“We’ve sort of refined our exhibition mission statement to include more design that relates to the area we’re in, and having been a textile town for such a long time this exhibition seems very fitting,” Ackerman said.

Engine is located a 128 Main St. in Biddeford. The event is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, check out feedtheengine.org/.

— Staff Writer Ryder Schumacher can be reached at 282-1535, or via email at rschumacher@journaltribune.com.