This spring, we are delighted to be hosting Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs. Although Winifred Nicholson (1893-1981) is best known for her paintings and her position as a highly respected figure in 20th century British art, this is the first exhibition dedicated to her relationship with the tradition of rag rug making. 

A sustainable and charmingly creative practice, making tufted rag rugs from fabric scraps and old clothing was once commonplace – a whimsical solution to heating chilly stone floors. By the mid-20th century, the art was dying out. Winifred, who had discovered the technique from her neighbour Margaret Warwick in 1923, set out to keep the practice alive. She formed a collective of makers in the rural farming community around her home at Bankshead on Hadrian’s Wall in north Cumbria.

Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Winifred encouraged family and friends to create designs which were then realised as rugs by the local makers. The subjects of these rugs varied wildly from farm animals to tigers and even superheroes. You can see the breadth (and charm) through a selection of these rugs which will appear in the exhibition, with rugs designed by Winifred’s grandchildren as well as her friend the artist, poet and gallerist Li Yuan-chia, who helmed the LYC Museum & Art Gallery in nearby Banks from 1972-83.

Appearing alongside the rugs, the exhibition will feature paintings, sketches and archival material giving a sense of Winifred’s creative life and career. There will be a making space within the exhibition where visitors can try their hand at rag rug making themselves, and a programme of events and activities to be announced.

The exhibition comes to us fresh from a spectacular run at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA), which The Guardian called “A fascinating insight into her inventive way of working and the skilled process of creating these rugs.”.

The exhibition has been co-curated with art historian, Jovan Nicholson, grandson of Winifred Nicholson, and Helen Welford, Exhibitions and Collection Curator, MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.

Can’t make it to the exhibition or want to listen again? You can access a range of audio from the exhibition online here.

Winifred Nicholson: Cumbrian Rag Rugs runs from 5 April – 15 June 2025. Open 10am-4pm Monday to Saturday and 11am-4pm Sunday.

Pictured: Animal Squares 1960s. Designed by Winifred Nicholson, made by Florence Williams. Private Collection.

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