A Journey Through Time with the Hooked in the Mountains Exhibit

There are few events that handle the test of time as well as the Hooked in the Mountains Show. It is now put on biennially in Vermont. The first show was in the spring of 1996 in the lovely old Joslyn Round barn in Waitsfield Vermont and was the brainchild of Judy Phillips.

From there the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild (GMRHG), who sponsors the show, moved it to the Shelburne Museum, the Essex Fairgrounds and the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier, Vermont.

The guild itself was started in 1981 when Anne Ashworth hung a rug show on a clothes line and invited some hookers to attend. The guild has a long colorful history with a long list of wonderful rug hookers who captained the ship including people like Patty Yoder and Amy Oxford (just to name a few). The artistry in rug hooking became a focus over the years.

Mrs. Webb who started the Shelburne Museum collected hooked rugs because of their artistry and history. It seems appropriate that the rug hookers of modern day continue to hook and to try to make them worthy of a spot in a museum like the Shelburne Museum. Indeed, that is where Patty Yoder’s work now resides.

Today, the guild is still thriving and attracting new people to this medium. Half of our members reside outside of Vermont and we do try to give them something for their membership. We know the show is one of the attractions but we also know that our members drive here for our hook-ins, meetings and smaller shows. There is wonderful energy in a room full of GMRHG members sharing their current work and talking about what is happening in rug hooking. We have so many unique and talented people who attend that people like Nancy Thun will make the 5-6 hour drive from Hoboken NJ just for the experience!

Our next “Hooked in the Mountains” show will be May 14-18, 2025 and it will take place at Sugarbush Ski Resort in Warren Vermont so save the date. It is a fabulous setting in the Mad River Valley and spring is green and lush there. Even the warblers will have returned by then. The Ski Lodge will house the show, vendors and a daily hook-in. And just across from the lodge entry is The Schoolhouse where our workshops will be.

We are excited to have many workshop offerings. Some teachers are well known and some we’re enticing out from their refuges to share their magic with us. All are exceptional. Check out our website to get the details (GMRHG.org). The list of instructors includes Anne Cox, Yvonne Iten-Scott, Michelle Palmer, Neysa Russo, Fern Strong, Davey DeGraff,  and  Stephanie Krauss.

Magnificent Bugs in Rugs is a traveling hooked art show that is just amazing and beautiful and it will also be at the Show! So much to do and see.

In this show we will be highlighting our appreciation for a long time friend and important player in the Vermont hooking scene and that is Lynn Soule. She is greatly missed and we will love spending time with her work and remembering her laughter and energy.

As always we will ask folks to choose their favorites from the new work presented. Come to Vermont and see for yourself what has made this guild so special.