Cultural Survival Bazaars Feature Indigenous Art, Crafts & Music

TIVERTON, RI — It's a bazaar offering more than merchandise. According to its organizers, buying an article at the upcoming Indigenous arts bazaar is also a way to help cultures survive and make the world a better place. Cultural Survival, a Cambridge, Mass., nonprofit organization, is putting on the event Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30, at the Four Corners Arts Center in Tiverton. According to the press release, the event will highlight Indigenous artists, musicians, and performers from diverse cultures who will share their traditions. Among these vendors, there will be a large representation of Latin American artists and artisans.

Here is a preview.

"One of this year’s returning vendors is the Guatemala Art and Culture Connection, which features original art and crafts from traditional Mayan villages around Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. The crafts that they source include paintings, weavings, and bead work for which the artisans incorporate new designs into their centuries old traditions. These crafts are important to the artists because it is a way of preserving their cultures. They do so by depicting scenes such as harvesting coffee, food markets, ceremonies, and nature that are integral parts of life, as well as representations of Mayan Cosmology and rituals. Guatemala Art and Culture Connection says that they 'hope to increase awareness of the economic, political, environmental and social issues that impact these Indigenous communities and to foster an appreciation of their rich art and culture… [as] a means of connecting people across borders and cultures and foster deeper understanding, mutual respect and cooperation to bring into being a more equitable, just and peaceful world.'

"This year’s Bazaar in Tiverton will feature Mama Mochila, a new vendor who has had a partnership with Indigenous Arhuaco women in Colombia since 2010. The women in these small communities are known for weaving bags known as mochilas, cross-body bags made from animal fiber that are almost always these communities’ main source of income. Through the ethical sale of ancestral crafts and the just compensation that reflects the complexity and time required to create the artwork, Mama Mochila empowers Arhuaco women and their families. Making mochilas is a rite of passage for young women, for mochilas are believed to be a demonstration of a woman's thought process, focus and effort.

"Cultural Survival is also proud to welcome back Felicia Huarsaya, an Aymara weaver from a small community in the Peruvian province of Puno. Felicia states, 'We are selling our products, different artwork that we—the Indigenous women of Peru—know how to weave by hand.' She works with Artesanías Kollasullo, a cooperative of 80 individuals in the region of Alpaquera, Peru, who create alpaca and sheep wool crafts, including scarves, sweaters, hats, stuffed animals, and woven decorations. Alpacas are native to Peru and extremely important to Peruvian Indigenous communities, which is why these artists, who identify with Aymara and Quechua cultures, seek to share the cultural significance of their craft. In addition to her work as an artisan, Felicia has also been involved with the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

"Tierra Viva is a nonprofit that has been working with Indigenous communities in Venezuela for 10 years. The organization works with several artisans to train them to develop commercially viable products for which they are paid above market price. The products they source, such as baskets, handbags, placemats, household decorations, and jewelry represent the Warao, Wayuu, and Ye’kwana cultures. Eachitem is handmade using traditional methods. The Warao people weave using moriche palm fiber or the stems of an aquatic plant called bora. Wayuu crafts are woven using conventional textile fibers, whereas Ye’kwana baskets and jewelry are made from the fibers of a vine that is found in the jungles of Venezuela.

"Since 1982, Cultural Survival Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of Indigenous artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. Each year the Bazaars generate about half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects. Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience."

When?

Saturday and Sunday, July 29-30, 2017
10a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where?

Four Corners Arts Center
3852 Main Road
Tiverton, 02878

Free admission
Free parking
Accessibility info: Drop-off at entrance; no curb at entrance off of E. Rd.

Live music:
Hawk Henries
Jennifer Kreisberg
Sidy Maiga
Spirit Wing