Gualala Arts Lecture Series presents:
Andean Textiles, Macchu Picchu, and Much More

Monday, September 15, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
$5 donation requested

Five Gualala Arts members, who journeyed to Cusco, Peru in the spring of 2007 to learn the story of Nilda Callañaupa, will recount in a photo lecture titled Andean Textiles, Macchu Picchu, and Much More and what they discovered about colonial history of the area, Inca ruins, Andean village life, and about a remarkable woman.

After learning about Nilda Callañaupa, local weaver Susan Sandoval aroused the interest of husband John and of Susan Pollard, Susan Grenwelge, and Betsi Carey, who all traveled to Peru in May 2007 to see the work of Nilda first hand. She personally took the visitors to seven of the nine native villages that make up a co-op of native weavers. Each village, nestled in remote high Andes locations far from the eyes of tourists to Machu Picchu, nurtures a unique weaving tradition handed down through time from distant Inca ancestors. Nilda's work to preserve these traditions has earned her the title of National Weaver of Peru conferred by that country's president.

She has founded the non-profit Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC) complete with a museum of traditional Cusqueñan textiles, a weaving library, classrooms, and a retail center for marketing the textiles. The talk will describe the entire weaving process from spinning the alpaca and wool to the finished product that will be on display.

Revival of a disappearing art form is not only culturally important. The women weavers also provide an economic boost for villagers whose farming can no longer support a family. The evening weaves artistic, historical, cultural, and economic facets into one story that will be well worth hearing.

A $5 donation is requested.

The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA,
is open weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and weekends from noon to 4:00 p.m.
Please call (707) 884-1138 for more information, or email info@gualalaarts.org.

Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.