What is contemporary rug hooking?

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It's a modern take on a traditional craft.

The craft of rug hooking was brought over to the New England and Eastern Maritime Canada region from England in the 1800s. It became a craft of necessity, meaning that people (mostly women) would hook rugs for the floors of their cold homes. Old wool clothing or blankets were cut into strips and a hook was fashioned out of nails or whatever material was available to pull loops through burlap sack backing. Traditionally, the images were pictorial and featured things seen in day to day life. 

Over the years, the craft has evolved to become more expressive and extremely versatile in use, materials and tools used, technique, and is now appreciated as a form of art. Many rug hookers are working artists who have gallery showings and shops and businesses of their own.

The traditional ways of hooking are still very popular amongst "hookers" (as we call ourselves), but we now have a contemporary style of hooking as well. 

The contemporary rug hooking uses a variety of yarns and materials to hook with, can be abstract, painterly, or tell stories of modern ways of thinking, can be various shapes or have various uses (like clothing or home accessories), can be combined with other art mediums, and more often than not, the rugs are hung on the wall or featured as a piece of art instead of used as rugs on the floor.

They can easily be hung on a sheetrock wall with map pins or small nails. 

Alternatively, you could get a custom frame made.

If they're taken care of well, the rug will last generations, especially because it's not used as a functional rugs for the floor, so it will preserve itself for well over 100 years. 

It is suggested to hang the rug out of direct sunlight, as that can cause the colored dyes in the wool to fade over time.

Every 3-12 months, use an electric fabric shaver on a gentle setting and go over the entire rug to pick up any debris, dust, or fuzz that may collect on the surface.

Spot wash with a damp clean cloth if necessary. You may use a small drop of mild clear liquid soap and rub gently. 

Do not machine wash or dry. Do not use a vacuum, brush, or broom. 

Fully dry out the rug if it gets wet or saturated for any reason. Simply lay it flat to dry or drape it as flat as possible over a drying rack.

Check humidity levels in the space where it hangs as you want to prevent any mold from forming, just as you would a painting. 

For framed rugs:

The rug is secured to the wood with staple gun staples. If it's absolutely necessary to remove the rug, very gently remove the staples with a pair of small, clean pliers, being careful to only pull out the staple and not tug on the backing fabric or the yarn.