More creativity in Santa Fe…..Thanks to Jilann and Hank of The Documentors for their webinars about documentary film making. We regularly join them and others from around the world for their great virtual discussions.
From July 9-11, hundreds of folk artists from 52 countries will gather at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market to showcase and sell their special crafts. How precious is something that is learned from one’s ancestors and unique and beautiful in the modern world!
Another “must-see” is the Museum of International Folk Art, where exhibits in the Gallery of Conscience will explore contemporary issues about folk art production and consumption in the 21st century. The inaugural exhibit opens July 4th: Empowering Women: Artisan Cooperatives that Transform Communities. A better environment? A safe haven? A community bonded by art? A heritage preserved? An economic incentive? What motivates these inspiring women? “Now I can buy milk, pens and books and pay tuition for my children” Nepal “Give a woman money and watch the village grow” Swaziland “Art heals the helpless soul…Weaving is hope for tomorrow” Rwanda
Jessica Winter’s article in “O – The Oprah Magazine” this month captures the flavor of what is to come at the Art Market. We also look forward to Hand/Eye magazine’s reports from on-site.
I received good news that Farah Ghuznavi – with whom I worked at the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh – has just released a short story in Woman’s Work, a diverse collection of short stories by forty women writers that promises to be an interesting read.
Congratulations Farah!
Early in my time in Bangladesh, Farah introduced me to her mother, Ruby, from whom I have learned so much about textiles, natural dyes and craft. Ruby and her team at Aranya Crafts have worked steadily to preserve and promote the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the region and, in the process, have touched the lives of thousands of people. During our recent film shoot in Dhaka, we interviewed Ruby about nakshi kantha embroidery and Surayia’s role in its evolution.
Anil Advani, who has been helping us so much in photographing Surayia’s work in Bangladesh, recently joined Surayia and others at the US Embassy in Dhaka to document the two nakshi kantha tapestries that Surayia completed about twenty years ago for the US Embassy building in Bangladesh which opened in 1989.
One of these tapestries is a “one of a kind” piece, designed by Surayia after she had witnessed the cutting of the ribbon at the Embassy inauguration ceremony.
The other is a series of 9 panels based on designs of architect Louis Sullivan. Surayia recollects that the designs were sent to her as small photocopies. She chose the threads and supervised “her girls” to embroider them for the Embassy opening.
Many thanks to the US Embassy for preserving these special kantha tapestries!
(The images are clickable for larger views)
I recently spoke with Dr. Niaz Zaman of Bangladesh, one of the world’s foremost experts on kantha embroidery who we interviewed for “Threads” during a film shoot in Dhaka in April. She will be giving a special lecture about the evolution of kantha on Sunday, June 13, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: The Kantha: From Bedroom to Boardroom. Dr. Zaman was with Surayia not long ago at the US Embassy in Dhaka where Surayia’s work was being photographed. More about that in our next post.
Also…..while at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, don’t miss the exhibition “Kantha” which runs through next month. Len and I visited the exhibition earlier this year and highly recommend seeing the almost forty kanthas collected by Stella Kramrisch and by Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz.