PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER – Tips and Tricks for Curating a Rug Hooking Exhibit

Susan Sutherland
Saturday May 1st: 9am – 10:30 (Talk Only)
Between 2004 and 2026 Susan has curated five different themed rug hooking exhibits. Each one had its challenges and highlights. It is not easy hanging hooked pieces so that they have a gallery-like look to them. This presentation will give “tips and tricks,” “dos and dont’s” that Susan has learned from each of those exhibits. If you think you want to hang your own one-person show, or curate a themed exhibit, this presentation is for you. Logistics, a timetable of when to start planning, etc. will be discussed.
As part of the talk, attendees will do a walking tour to look at the Loops that Hold Us exhibit, a dialogue in fibre, mental health and harm reduction that Susan curated for the Kitchener Waterloo Rug Hooking Guild. It will be displayed at the Conference 2027.

Susan Sutherland has a passion for traditional rug hooking. She pulled her first loops in 1979. In 2000 she received her OHCG teaching accreditation. Susan loves combining a wide variety of fibres and techniques into her hooked pieces as well as adding touches of whimsy. Susan enjoys public speaking on the history of this settler craft. She has taught in person and on zoom in Canada, the United Stares, and in Australia. She has curated many rug hooking exhibits and is working on a travelling exhibit for 2026 – 2027. Susan is a member of the OHCG, RHGNS, RHGNL, ATHA, TIGHR, and is currently a member of the Kitchener-Waterloo Rug Hooking Guild.