About the exhibition:

Linda Ruggiero on “Woven Stories”:

My work in textiles is born out of the physical and emotional struggles that I witness as a critical care nurse in an urban trauma center. These experiences, in turn, create my own internal conflicts, as I grieve for my patients and their families. The fabrics and threads woven throughout my work mimic my stream of consciousness as I process these encounters, and the work allows me to tap into a meditative state. This mindful process helps me process and heal from traumatic experiences, including the recent loss of my mother, caring for patients and their families during the COVID pandemic, and working as a critical care nurse in a cardiac catheterization lab. The finished pieces implement color, fiber content, texture, and density to represent healing and serve as a reminder that something beautiful can be generated from something painful. I have come to view weaving as therapy, and it is a constant in my life that brings me calmness and peace at the end of the day.

“Woven Stories” is an interactive exhibition comprised of a series of my weavings that represent three emotionally challenging periods of my recent adulthood: caring for patients during the Covid pandemic and George Floyd riots, working in a cardiac lab in a level one trauma center, and the loss of my mother. Within the gallery there will be an active, though quiet and meditative workspace where I will teach individuals plain weave, a repetitive form of weaving that has mindfulness benefits. Attendees will be asked to consider an emotionally challenging time in their life and to consider the emotions associated with that time. This could be a break-up, the death of a pet, the loss of a loved one, or other challenging experience. Each individual will then be given a color psychology card, which will contain a list of colors with the emotions they are associated with. Participants will choose fibers and threads of colors corresponding to their emotions, and I will teach them how to weave on small, pre-warped looms. Each participant will have the opportunity to add their work to the gallery exhibit, or they can take it home with them.

Woven Stories will be on view in Gallery 1 from June 5 - June 22 , 2025 with an opening reception on Saturday, June 7th from 4-7 pm.

ABOUT THE ARtist:

Linda Ruggiero is a textile artist living in Philadelphia, PA. Interested in art and perception, she pursued a Doctorate in Neuroscience, which she received in 2008 from the Oregon Health and Science University. During her graduate and postdoctoral studies, she explored the impact of retinal degeneration on the brain’s ability to process light, while maintaining a studio practice in fiber arts and clay. She then went on to pursue a degree in Nursing from Villanova University in 2018, all the while continuing a creative practice. Linda now works as a critical care nurse in an urban trauma center, and her work in textiles is informed by her experiences caring for patients suffering from chronic illnesses. She is on the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers and runs a local fiber arts group called the Philly Fiber Flock. She also teaches weaving and upcycled textile art classes throughout Philadelphia at various shops and studios. This past year Linda has exhibited work at the Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) Penn Medicine exhibition, The Craft Coven Gallery, Recreate Gallery, and Peter’s Valley School of Craft.