Book Descriptions:

Complex and colorful textiles from Guatemala represent some of the finest weaving in the world. The weavers, master artisans. So why would you teach a group of Maya women in Guatemala how to hook rugs? Recognizing the dire need for more income-generating opportunities in Guatemala, an accomplished American textile artist volunteered to teach one rug hooking class. What follows is a surprising and heartening story about artistry, creative economies, and how access to opportunity truly does change lives. At the heart of Rug Money is the work of artist Mary Anne Wise and her committed team at Multicolores, the nonprofit rug hooking cooperative they formed in Guatemala. In their moving narrative, you will learn how Mary Anne created a curriculum for teaching art and design based on her students' needs and abilities, while honoring their culture. You will admire how the artisans later brought their rugs to the famed International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, to much acclaim and wildly successful sales. You will discover how Mary Anne and her team are guided, not by a business plan, but through discovery, creativity, and joy to shape the future of their highly successful nonprofit business. You will meet individual Maya rug hooking artisans and learn how their work with Multicolores has advanced their artistry, improved their economic outlook, and profoundly empowered their personal lives. The book celebrates the extraordinary achievement of Multicolores in creating community, education, and empowerment. While there was no business plan, no end goal at the outset, the success of Multicolores serves as a model for how to organize and advance a nonprofit while effecting powerful social change.




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