Photo courtesy of Mama Mochila.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jess Cherofsky // 617.441.5400 x 15 // jess@cs.org
Weavers and Sculptors from Colombia to Zimbabwe Showcase Artwork in Tiverton, RI
Global market welcomes Indigenous artists from over 60 cultures
Boston, MA (June 27, 2018) - On July 28-29, Cultural Survival, a nonprofit organization based in Cambridge, MA, will hold its 18th annual Indigenous arts festival in Tiverton, RI. With 43+ years of connecting international artists with local artists and communities, this Bazaar will feature contemporary and traditional pieces from over 60 cultures worldwide. Among the products showcased will be traditionally woven woolen bags from Colombia, handmade wire animal sculptures from Zimbabwe, and pure silver jewelry crafted in Macedonia.
Mama Mochila’s bags are made only from handspun wool by Indigenous Arhuaco women in Colombia. The bags feature unique designs representing Arhuaco philosophy and connection with nature. Their ancestral craft is passed down through generations, as all Arhuaco women learn to make mochilas from their mothers and grandmothers. “Mochilas are considered a woman’s expression of intention and love for her family, community and nature-based spiritual beliefs,” says co-founder Anna Andreyevna Gouznova, and “creating a mochila is a metaphor for the process of creation and symbolizes a woman’s spiritual development.” The business was founded by Gouznova and Indigenous artisans Yolima Esther Torres Torres and Maria Cecilia Villafane Armenta.
Bernard Domingo is Shona from Zimbabwe and creates animal figures out of wire, a craft he developed in his childhood. In the 1960’s, young members of the Shona Tribe began experimenting with coathangers to make toys, a hobby that Domingo adopted and later expanded into his business, which continues to link him closely to his Shona identity. He now sells his art around the world and has been participating at the Cultural Survival Bazaars for over 10 years. He expresses that the Bazaars are an uplifting experience for him, saying, “ You need your mind to be free; when I go there, my mind is always free.”
The Bazaar will also welcome Katarina Doda, a filigree silversmith from Macedonia, who crafts pure silver jewelry containing precious stones such as amethyst, opal, and red coral. First melting the silver and then using tools such as tweezers and pliers, she forms the detailed semicircle patterns for which filigree jewelry is known. Her jewelry is a Macedonian art form that is renowned around the world and has been passed down in her family for generations.
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, Mexico, Ghana, Venezuela, Ukraine, 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 Newburyport, MA
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
