FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jess Cherofsky // 617.441.5400 x 15 // jess@cs.org
Scents and Patterns of Madagascar and Peru Travel to Tiverton
Cultural Survival Bazaar draws art, makers, and music from dozens of cultures
Boston, MA (May 2018) - On July 28-29, Cultural Survival, Cambridge-based nonprofit organization Cultural Survival will hold its 18th annual Indigenous arts Bazaar in Tiverton, RI. The Bazaar will showcase Indigenous artists and musicians in contemporary and traditional media from dozens of cultures worldwide. The public will have the opportunity to exchange, connect, and build community, chatting with Indigenous artists and bringing home beautiful momentos from around the world. Among the crafters featured will be Deniss Sanchez, a Wari ceramicist from the Peruvian Andes, and Tahiana Creation, a Malagasy basket-weaving cooperative from Madagascar.
Deniss Sanchez represents a family of ceramics artists from the Ayacucho region of Peru. Along with her five siblings and two parents, Sanchez combines clay and other traditional local materials such as river stones, feathers and vegetation to create figures that depict Indigenous Wari culture. Sanchez is committed to using local and natural materials that are decorative and not harmful to health. With 35 years of working alongside her family and continuing their familial legacy, Sanchez will participate for the first time at the Cultural Survival Bazaar. Wari ceramics, says Sanchez, are “a tradition passing from generation to generation… [which] my parents continued and now I am transmitting to my children.”
Tahiana Creation is an organization based in Madagascar that works closely with 45 women artists whose work includes woven handbags, baskets, and embroidery. Using traditional raw materials to create their crafts, the artists work with the vétiver plant, whose natural fiber that contains therapeutic properties with the ability to resolve blood circulation problems, treat anxiety, and combat inflammation. Tahiana Creation uses this valuable natural fiber to create quality, fragrant traditional crafts while benefiting Malagasy artists and ensuring the survival of the vétiver plant. The organization’s mission is “[t]o reduce poverty of vulnerable people by promoting the quality of handmade Malagasy handcraft and protecting its fauna and flora, wealth and biodiversity abroad.” Tahiana Creation has been working since 1983 to create jobs for Malagasy craftswomen to ensure their income, food, education, and health for their family and communities.
Since 1975, Cultural Survival Bazaars have provided a market for thousands of Indigenous artists and cooperatives spanning six continents and over sixty countries. This year the Bazaars will feature Indigenous artists from the US, Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Uganda, Tibet, Nepal, Madagascar, Paraguay, and more. Each year the Bazaars generate about half a million dollars for Indigenous artists, performers, and projects. Cultural Survival, an international NGO based in Cambridge, MA, advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures, and political resilience.
High resolution photos available upon request.
Cultural Survival Official Website
Cultural Survival Bazaars Facebook for news and updates on artists at the market!
Event page on Facebook - Bazaar in Tiverton, RI
Event Information:
Saturday and Sunday, July 28 + 29, 2018
10am - 6pm
Tiverton Four Corners Art Center
3852 Main Road
Tiverton, RI 02878
Free admission
Free parking
Open rain or shine
Accessibility info: Drop-off at entrance; no curb at entrance off of E. Rd. Grassy, uneven ground.
Contact jess@cs.org with questions.
Live music: Spirit Wing, Sidy Maiga, Hawk Henries, The Nettukkusqk Singers
See website and Facebook for schedules
