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While most contemporary textile exhibitions focus on quilts, this exhibition highlights another important decorative folk art-rugs!

The creation of contemporary rag rugs extends a practice which emanates from the American colonial era. Like most American art forms, these textiles are inspired by many traditions. Rags to Riches represents a variety of artists, styles, media, and rugmaking techniques. This exhibition explores the diversity and utility of creative rugmaking, including the use of recycled materials. Rags to Riches features contemporary rugs created by artists from all over the United States who use a variety of approaches. Their rugs are woven, braided, hooked, and created by other hand techniques popular before World War I and the onset of less expensive, machine-made rugs.

The techniques illustrated in this exhibition have been handed down from generation to generation and revitalized by contemporary rugmakers who use them with a new vision. Contemporary rugmakers, like all artists, rely on their past to move forward. The choice to work within the traditions of rugmaking is a choice to embrace the meaning of those traditions.