Florida Tech Showcases Indigenous Textiles Dec. 4, 7
MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology takes the lead in bringing indigenous textile traditions to the campus and neighboring communities. Reinforcing this leadership, Florida Tech’s Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts will offer textile enthusiasts two presentations of ancient Native American Indian textile traditions in December.
Led by artist Flora Zárate, the first is a demonstration, “Andean Arpilleras/Peruvian Quilts,” which features the enchanting textile tradition of the indigenous Quechua people on Dec. 4 at 10 a.m. Quechua is also a language spoken in the Andean region of Peru and was the official language of the ancient Incan Empire. Arpilleras are the culture’s quilt-like wall hangings, embellished with applied embroidery and three-dimensional elements.
Examples of Zárate’s work will be on display and available for purchase.
“Andean Arpilleras/Peruvian Quilts” can be seen in the Ruth Funk Center Mezzanine and Galleries. Tickets are $10 for the general public; $5 for Friends of Textiles members; and free for full-time students. Advance registration is recommended.
Part of the Friends of Textiles Lecture Series, “The Language of Mayan Textiles,” is on Dec. 7. Stephanie Schneiderman will discuss the cosmological symbolism inherent in the Mayan designs woven by the women of the Chiapas Highlands. A reception is at 5:15 p.m.; the lecture is at 6 p.m.
Schneiderman is the founder and CEO of Tia Stephanie Tours, a company that offers cultural and educational journeys to Mexico, focusing on art history, textile traditions, ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica and present-day indigenous festivals.She was born in Havana and grew up in Mexico City.
“The Language of Mayan Textiles” presentation will held be in the Denius Student Center’s Hartley Room on campus. Tickets are $10 for the general public and free for Friends of Textiles members and full-time students.
To make reservations or for more information, call the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts at (321) 674-8313, or visit http://textiles.fit.edu.
