Loose Change

Mia Wright Ross turns discarded lottery tickets into a tapestry on hope, wealth, and financial exclusion in Black and brown communities

Loose Change

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Listen to the full podcast here: Loose (Chains) Change

Loose (Chains) Change is a powerful mixed-media tapestry project by Brooklyn-based leather artisan Mia Wright Ross, made possible with the support of the Future Money Grant. The work explores the complex relationship between hope, fragility, and the myth of wealth, utilizing discarded lottery tickets- some backed with leather and others left raw- as material and metaphor.

The piece critically examines the historical and ongoing role of the lottery in the experiences of Black and brown communities, tracing its roots to the funding of early American colonies and its connections to slavery. Today, the lottery continues to symbolize the elusive “American Dream,” particularly in marginalized communities where hope for upward mobility often relies on chance. Through this lens, Wright Ross interrogates the false promises of capitalism and the psychological toll of systemic financial exclusion.

The project’s process is deeply communal. Wright Ross collaborates with local residents, including individuals experiencing homelessness, who help gather discarded lottery tickets—transforming acts of survival into contributions and moments of meaning. These interactions not only inform the artwork but also foster micro-economies and moments of empowerment within the community.

“With the help of no government or any institution outside of our ourselves, we can create the financial inclusion that exists amongst our own power.”

Mia Wright- Ross

Visually striking and emotionally resonant, Loose (Chains) Change elevates the rituals of hope while also questioning the exploitative systems that often commodify them. Wright Ross envisions the project as part of a larger, evolving body of work: a monumental 40-acre tapestry symbolizing the land once promised to emancipated people, serving as a living, growing archive of stories, resilience, and reclamation.

By blending material storytelling, historical reflection, and future-oriented thinking, Loose (Chains) Change invites audiences to reconsider what we value, how we define success, and how art can reshape our understanding of wealth, worth, and possibility.