The Worcester Art Museum is opening a new exhibition, "From the Vault: Collecting Tapestries at the Worcester Art Museum," on May 3, 2025, running through July 27. The show features nearly 30 works, including 12 large-scale tapestries and 18 fragments, many unseen for decades. The centerpiece is the museum's iconic 16th-century "The Last Judgment" tapestry, restored after 35 years in storage. Other highlights include a contemporary piece by Diedrick Brackens, a Flemish tapestry depicting Emperor Titus, and works by Jean Lurçat.
This exhibition matters because it offers a rare, generational opportunity to view fragile textile artworks that will likely return to storage for at least another decade after the show closes. It also underscores the museum's commitment to research, conservation, and public access to its significant but little-known tapestry collection, revealing hidden treasures from its history and connecting centuries-old weaving traditions with contemporary practice.