Kaqchikel Maya Weaving Lecture-Demonstration

• Event Date: Saturday, April 19, 2008
• Time: 2:00 pm (CDT)
• Location: Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL
• Cost: Free Admission

• Talk
• Exhibit-Related tag

Weaving on the backstrap loom—an ancient practice carried on by Maya women in Guatemala today—attests to Maya resiliency and ingenuity in the face of 500 years of colonization. This lecture-demonstration features guest artist Magda Sotz Mux and guest curator Peter Rohloff in a lively dialogue inspired and illustrated by weaving demonstrations. Brief orienting comments on Maya weaving and indigenous identity in contemporary Guatemala will be followed by wide-ranging discussion involving the artist, curator, and audience members. Topics will include weaving technique, materials, and terminology as well as broader issues such as Maya identity and the place of weaving and similar practices in pan-Maya cultural revitalization. Live video, projected simultaneously on a large screen, will enhance audience participation by providing a close-up view of Magda’s weaving demonstration. As Magda will be speaking in Kaqchikel with the aid of an interpreter, attendees will have the opportunity to appreciate this beautiful, vibrant language.