Embrace the power of wool weaving in all its forms. Centuries-old Coast Salish weaving traditions are a core part of ceremony and celebration, yet remain under-appreciated by the public.

Woven in Wool features both historical Salish wool weavings and new creations by contemporary weavers, including robes, vests, tunics, tumplines, and skirts, as well as weaving tools and materials. Firstperson voices from the Salish weaving communities will contextualize their own history and artistic traditions, leading visitors through the process of weaving and a seasonal story of creation: gathering, processing & spinning, dyeing, and weaving.

The exhibition is a collaboration between the Coast Salish Wool Weaving Center (CSWWC) co-curators and members of the Burke’s staff. Together, they will examine the creation of woven artworks and the extensive cultural and scientific knowledge embedded in woven textiles, which connect generations and reflect relationships with the world around us. 

Woven in Wool is part of the research of Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse, who is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Washington and the Burke Museum's Bill Holm Center Endowed Professor Curator of Northwest Native American Art and Director of the Bill Holm Center.