Rag Rug Festivals & Design Collectives
Our signature Rag Rug Festivals & Design Collectives offer both our grantees and a broad network of women artisans, predominantly from small, rural communities, the opportunity to expand both their income generation and the audience for their work. Rag Rug Festival participation has grown from seven artisans in 2002 to more than 100 in 2009. Our three Rag Rug Festivals and three Holiday Gift Fiestas in 2009 helped generate $100,000 in income for our artisan vendors. Festival participation and attendance have grown steadily in the past seven years, and earnings have remained steady over the past year despite the economic downturn, proving that interest in local, handmade goods retains its importance and viability in the public marketplace.
Creativity is the common denominator — weaving New Mexico women together in a vibrant community that celebrates collaboration, vision, and diverse traditions often sustained across generations.
Along with stunning rag rugs, each festival presents hand-woven wool, cotton, silk, and rag-based clothing (including scarves, ruanas, shawls, and jackets), as well as home furnishings, beaded accessories, punched tin folk art, handmade greeting cards and prints, colcha embroidery, pine needle baskets, and dozens of other distinctive handmade gifts and products.
In an innovative approach to helping women sell their crafts and artistic creations, Rag Rug Festivals are produced in small museums, which provide enticing environments for peer-to-peer learning and personal skills development.
