FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jess Cherofsky// 617 . 441 . 5400 x 15 // jess@cs.org
Spotlight on Peru at Holiday Craft Markets in Boston
Indigenous Art Show Features Crafts, Makers, and Social Impact
Boston, MA (December 1, 2016) - On December 10 and 11, and on December 16-18, Cultural Survival, a local Cambridge-based nonprofit, will host two craft festivals highlighting Indigenous art from around the world. Among them, artists from various regions of Peru will participate. Their art will showcase the rich diversity of Peruvian Indigenous cultures, with crafts ranging from hand-carved wooden scenes called retablos, to silver jewelry inspired by pre-Columbian textiles, to music featuring Andean winds and strings.
The weaving cooperative Alpaquera La Carabaya from the southern Andean region of Peru returns to the Cultural Survival Bazaars this year with hats, gloves, children’s toys, and sweaters made of hand-spun, naturally dyed alpaca wool. The cooperative says, “The alpaca was domesticated in Peru some 6,000 years ago. Thousands of families raise alpaca herds as they have for thousands of years. This animal's fiber is the principal source of income annually.” Their cozy knits are a perennial favorite at the Bazaars, with the New England winter chill awaiting guests just outside.
Worlds away from the high elevation and cold temperatures of the alpaca heartland, Sonia Cachi leads a workshop of jewelers in coastal downtown Lima, called Joyas Vivac. “We all use pre-Columbian, colonial, and some traditional styles with small modern changes,” says Sonia. Their silver jewelry incorporates materials such as Spondylus sea shells, mother of pearl, Huayruo seed, and Peruvian turquoise, emphasizing natural beauty. The style hearkens back to the long history of precious metal craft in Andean South America, a tradition that preceded European settlers by hundreds of years.
Joining Joyas Vivac and Alpaquera La Carabaya in representing Peru to the Boston public will be New Inca Son, performing “ancient melodies and dances” from Andean cultures on Saturday 12/17 and Sunday 12/18 from 12 to 2pm. Their performances are acclaimed by local musical luminary Keith Lockhart. Also, return vendor Retablos Palomino y Jimenez will showcase beautiful wooden figurines depicting Peruvian life and folklore during both events.
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, an international NGO based in Cambridge, MA, advocates for Indigenous Peoples' rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience.
Bazaar attendees will enjoy these among other crafts, including silver and turquoise jewelry from Macedonia and North America, pottery from Mexico, textiles from Burkina Faso, bark cloth from Uganda, paintings from Guatemala, rugs from Nepal and Mexico, and more. One attendee has said, "It's like a trip around the world's bazaars.”
High resolution photos available upon request
Cultural Survival Bazaars Website
Cultural Survival Official Website
Bazaars on Facebook - news, vendor updates
Event Information:
Saturday and Sunday, December 10-11
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
459 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02138
10am - 5pm
Free admission
Free parking
Wheelchair accessible
Live music: Saturday 12/10 and Sunday 12/11, 12-2pm, Jonathan Perry (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Leah Hopkins (Narragansett and Niantic)
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Friday, Saturday, and Sunday December 16-18
Prudential Center
Belvidere and Huntington Arcades
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
Enter at the corner of Huntington Ave. and Belvidere St. (Elevator and escalator access at this entrance)
Friday and Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 10am-8pm
Free admission
2 minutes from Prudential Station on “E” line on Green lineAcross the street from 39 bus stop
10-minute walk from Mass Ave. or Back Bay stop on the Orange Line
Several paid parking garages in the area
Live music: Saturday 12/17 and Sunday 12/18, 12-2pm, New Inca Son
