February 2015, Puno, Peru, at the offices of Movimiento Manuela Ramos — 40-year veteran feminist organization advocating women’s right in Peru, and home to Casa de la Mujer Artesana (House of the Woman Artisan). Quality control is taking place with inventory.
RESCHEDULED! This Wednesday, July 29, 3:00pm to 4:30pm, a dialogue on creative industry for Greater Lansing takes place! (Due to a family health emergency, it was moved from last week.) Many thanks to all of the speakers who were able to reschedule for the same time on such short notice.
I’m often inspired by art in action. Among the women artisans I met in Peru, I was inspired by their cooperative creative process. National feminist organization Movimiento Manuela Ramos supports the two groups I photographed — papermakers in the Upper Amazon of Chazuta, and fiber arts of the Andes at Lake Titicaca in Juli — in distinct ways. From the varied support of MMR to how artisans engage among themselves, there’s a lot of wisdom to draw upon from these “Southern” cooperative creative processes. I look forward to exploring such inspirations at the dialogue on creative industry this Wednesday at AA Creative Corridor, 1133 S. Washington, Lansing.
What will the dialogue sound like? Speakers will briefly share a word on inspirations for creative industry from where they sit: artists, professionals supporting the fine-arts industry, and educational leaders. Our context for the dialogue is Greater Lansing, with attention to improve access to the arts among our wider community. Some projects to be introduced include a book-arts collaboration serving “at-promise” older youth and imagining an arts cooperative among low-income women.
The public is most welcome to join this conversation. Please bring your hands-on experiences and community-building inspirations! Perhaps you want to learn more about these projects, to share about your own, or to lend your support. In any case, there is room for you and your questions. Also, this occasion is the last chance for the public to view my traveling exhibition Movimiento/ Movement as it stands now in Lansing. I look forward to enjoying your company and engagement. As always, thanks for your presence following my work at Dey of the Phoenix.
March 2015. Paper by Chazutan artisans for sale at Casa de la Mujer Artesana’s central store in Lima. The shop neighbors offices of program-parent Movimiento Manuela Ramos.
