Kakaw Designs Shifts to Online Classes, Sales in Guatemala

Volume 28, Number 1 - Spring 2021 Kakaw Designs Shifts to Online Classes, Sales in Guatemala Creating A Connected Mari Gray CreatingCreatingTextile Community aA Connected Connected Believe it or not, we have been busier for sure, and one that has been surprisingly TextileTextile CommunityCommunity than ever in Guatemala since the pandemic rewarding for me personally. Specifically, hit. We were fortunate to have a solid website the backstrap weaving classes with master and digital presence in place, which proved weaver Doña Lidia López have allowed us To foster a global network of to be key in our case for the “new normal” to explore a variety of different topics to- To fosterenthusiasts a global network who value of enthusiaststhe gether, dedicating a unique class for each whoimportance value the of importance textiles to grassrootsof textiles to technique. It has been a joy to slow down grassrootseconomies economies and spend time on exploring textile traditions from home during such a difficult

Header for online workshops ExchangeExchange informationinformation we found ourselves in. Pretty soon after the RaiseRaise awareness awareness of of the the importance importance of strict national restrictions were brought on textiletextile traditions traditions to grassroots to grassroots economies in Guatemala, our artisan partners started economies asking us to help sell their independently- Mobilize textile enthusiasts Mobilize textile enthusiasts produced creations online. This was the first Create conversations that result in action of many important pivots we took in 2020: Create conversations that result in opening up a curated marketplace on our action website.

Textiles are an important component of Doña Lidia Lopez Textiles arethe anhuman important experience component time. Many of my own personal long-time Networkingof the human and sharing experience. information textile questions have been answered Networkingcreates and an environment sharing information for through this journey. createsconstructive an environment action for The world seems still uncertain, and constructive action. there is clear need in many of the commu- Making connections between textile nities where we work in Guatemala. Last artisansMaking worldwide Connections promotes between positive Brocade close-up year was especially challenging with the textile artisanssocial worldwide change promotes Now, a year later, we are working on re- two strong hurricanes that caused flooding Interactingpositive with people social change. who have similar fining our online workshops on backstrap in unexpected areas away from the coast values enriches our lives weaving, embroidery, pompom making, (see Deborah Chandler’s article on page 8). Interacting with people who have and more. It has been a learning experience similar values enriches our lives. continued on page 11 1 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 COVID-19 and our #kaamnotdaan Campaign Arushi Chowdhury Khannar Nearly a year ago, I wrote an article for To my utter amazement, we received WARP about our revival of the heritage an overwhelming response from people technique of Himroo weaving. While we both in India and abroad. Within two had faced many challenges in re-starting weeks, we were able to secure orders to WARP Newsletter the defunct looms, it felt like we had over- support the weavers for the next two published quarterly by come most of them and I wrote with a months. However, the pandemic dragged Weave A Real Peace burst of optimism of our plans to set up on. The city of Aurangabad where our Volume 28, Number 1 new looms and train more women. weavers live was one of the worst-hit Spring 2021 But a month later, the pandemic hit areas and their low-income locality in Editor: Linda Temple India and we went into complete lock- particular was declared a Red Zone. We down. Initially, it seemed like this was a sent out a second appeal and received an- Send address death knell for the project. With every- other batch of pre-orders. It was amazing corrections to: to see how completely unknown people [email protected] one stuck at home, the weavers could not or mail to reached out to help. Some of our custom- Weave a Real Peace ers said that they didn’t know much about 5753 Hwy 85 North #3044 handlooms but they felt that this craft Crestview, FL 32536 shouldn’t be allowed to die. Some even connected us to their friends and relatives The deadline for who, in turn, placed further orders. And contributions to the so, this little human chain of interconnect- Summer issue of the WARP edness saw us through the lockdown. newsletter is Once the restrictions began to be April 30, 2021 lifted, we started to dispatch the orders Send articles and we had received. However, it was one step correspondence for forward and two steps back all the time. A The Ramzani Jangla is a vintage Himroo design the newsletter to: couple of weavers went down with mild comprising beautiful floral vines. It is woven on Linda Temple a drawloom known locally as a “Paaga Loom” 1230 NE 70 Oklahoma City, OK 73111 come even come to the weaving center [email protected] to weave. Moreover, our grant partners 405/921-1064 (phone) diverted their funds towards healthcare, leaving this project high and dry. The situ- Information about an ation was indeed bleak. organization or service in However, necessity as they say, is the this newsletter does not mother of invention. I just had a few pic- constitute an endorsement tures of the products that were midway by WARP. through weaving and were still on the loom. I posted these on our Instagram The drawloom technique enables Submissions may be page with an appeal to the social media designs to have a much larger scale edited or shortened at the universe: “Please support the weavers than typical jacquard looms and discretion of the editor. of Aurangabad. Pre-order our products hence the Ramzani Jangla has a and we will promise to deliver them stunning tapestry like effect once lockdown ends.” The campaign title cases of the virus. Weaving continued to was “KaamNotDaan” which translates to be slow and we are still completing orders “WorkNotAid”. The idea was that we do that we received last year. But, I think the not want dole for our self-respecting and pandemic has taught us all to be more proud weavers but your pre-orders today patient and understanding that there are will help them meet their daily expenses larger forces beyond our control. Con- till the looms are running again. continued on page 6 2 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting - June 18-20 Kate Colwell Plan now to stock up on your favorite breaks during the day where you can run snacks, dress in your best handwovens, over to the auction and place your bids. Weave A Real Peace and greet friends new and old at the June In the evening we’re back to Zoom Meet- Membership 18-20 Virtual Annual Meeting: Unravel- ing for members only and we will have Information ing Borders, Weaving Networks a Show and Tell. Members who make art www.weavearealpeace.org On Friday night we have expanded and members who work with artisans can the welcome circle to a 90 minute Zoom make two minute videos of their work to 2021 Annual Dues (USD) Meeting to see everyone’s face while ac- show off on Saturday evening. The op- $50 - Individual in US/Canada commodating our burgeoning mem- $90 - 2 year special - Individual US/ tions of opening your favorite beverage Canada bership. There’s an option to meet with and joining small groups of friends or in- $40 - International Individual/ friends in small breakout rooms after the terest groups in breakout rooms will also International Sister Guilds Circle. be available Saturday night. Simple living - Choose an amount Saturday will be a packed day with Sunday morning we’ll have our busi- you can live with scheduling 11:30 am to 8:30 pm EST to ness meeting and there will be at least accommodate time zones across the $40 - Sister/Gift Subscriptions one speaker. $75 - Friend of WARP Americas. We are tentatively planning a We are open to finding times to show $50 - Professional: Guild/ Business/ Keynote and panels including teaching short videos, author presentations, etc., Non-profit Organization during a pandemic, art and activism, and during breaks on Saturday or extending $150+ - Patron of WARP scholarship presentations. This section into Sunday afternoon. If you have some- of the meeting is Zoom Webinar and will thing you want to present please e-mail All memberships are for 12 months, and be open to non-members. The auction me [email protected]. I look forward expire 12 months from date of joining. will run concurrently and there will be to seeing you all there. Members have access to annual Membership There are several Assistantships What’s in this Newsletter... Directory through a secure available for people to help with the ‘members-only’ section of the web Kakaw Designs...... 1 Annual Meeting and currently these site, a quarterly newsletter, and can skills are needed: Covid-19 and #kaamnotdaan...... 2 participate in the WARP Google Discussion Group. • Social media before the meet- 2021 Annual Meeting to be Virtual.....3 ing Assistantships Available...... 3 Dues are used for printing, mailing, • Video editing skills prior to the WARP Membership Information...... 3 and office expenses. Weave A Real meeting Peace (WARP) is designated a 501(c)(3) From the Office...... 4 • Zoom technical support during nonprofit organization by the Internal the meeting 2021 Online Auction...... 4 Revenue Service. All donations to WARP are tax deductible in the Member Profile: Betsy Blosser...... 5 Please contact Kate Colwell, kcol- United States. [email protected], if you would like to WARP on Social Media...... 5 apply for an Assistantship. From WARP’s President...... 6 For membership or additional information, please send your name, address, New Members...... 6, 7, 8 telephone number, and email address How Are You Faring? ...... 7, 8, 9,11 with appropriate check, money order, or Paypal information in US funds WARP Newsletter: WARP Donors...... 9,11 payable to WARP to: Copy Deadlines WARP Panel Donors...... 10, 11 Summer 2021 - April 30 Nominating Committee...... 10 Weave a Real Peace 5753 Hwy 85 North #3044 Fall 2021 - August 27 WARP Zoom Panels...... 10 Winter 2021 - November 5 Crestview, FL 32536 WARP Business Members Network...... 10 or join online at Contact me at lgtempleok@gmail. http://www.weavearealpeace.org com if you have questions. Thanks! LT Publisher of Books...... 12

WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 3 From the WARP Office Kelsey Wiskirchen Dear WARP Friends, munity, we have gained 50 new members What a year it has been! Amidst and over 500 new contacts (general public WARP Governing the challenges of the pandemic, WARP who have attended our online zoom pro- Board has adapted and grams) in the past six months. evolved. We have We are currently in the process of plan- Philis Alvic been looking closely ning our 2021 Annual Meeting, which will Lexington, KY at our mission, and be fully online this year (see article on page [email protected] considering all of 3). We will also be offering both Assistant- Term expires 2021 the ways that we can ships and Scholarships. In a year when stu- Maren Beck grow to help meet dents and young professionals have very Eugene, OR the needs of our few options for in-person professional de- [email protected] members. We have formed a new Busi- velopment, I am thrilled that we can offer Term expires 2023 ness Networking Group, with a commit- this opportunity. Sara Borchert tee working on monthly programs to help The WARP Board is committed to serv- Hudson, NY our members who work with businesses - ing our community, and these new pro- [email protected] both international and domestic - connect grams are evidence of their dedication Term expires 2021 and learn from one another. (If you would and creativity. If you are interested in get- still like to join this group, it is not too late - ting more involved with WARP this year Kate Colwell Kensington, CA just send an email to Maren Beck, maren@ (and working closely with me!) please con- [email protected] hilltribeart.com.) We have been hosting sider joining the WARP Board, or send me Term expires 2023 monthly programs on Zoom that are free an email at [email protected] if and open to all, and we have been able you would like to volunteer for one of the Beth Davis to use our surplus gains from last year to program committees. Acton, MA [email protected] offer COVID-19 Relief Grants. Because of Warmest of wishes to you all, Term expires 2022 our active presence in the textile com- Kelsey Wiskirchen WARP Administrative Coordinator Mary Joan Ferrara Marsland Great Cacapon, WV [email protected] Term expires 2021 Get Ready for WARP’s 2021’s Online Auction! If you missed out on the WARP Online help us make that happen. This is WARP’s Sara Lamb Auction last year, never fear! It is coming biggest fundraising event of the year and Grass Valley, CA up again soon. The 2021 Online Auction [email protected] we need members to make it a success by Term expires 2022 will run consecutively with WARP’s Virtual providing auction items and bidding on these fabulous handmade creations. Susan Weltman Start cleaning out your closets, draw- Brooklyn, NY ers, and shelves! We would love donations [email protected] Term expires 2022 of new or gently used handmade textile or fiber related items such as clothing, ac- cessories, baskets and home décor, textile Kelsey Wiskirchen and craft related books and equipment, Administrative Coordinator handmade jewelry, and more. [email protected] Celebration Table Runner - Donated to We know our wonderful members will 2020 Auction by Mayaman Weavers help us make this a huge success. Keep Annual Conference this year, ending on your eyes open in April for further details the last day of the conference, June 20. and instructions for submitting your trea- Last year we had almost 90 amazing sures. To allow us plenty of time to set up items, with massive support and participa- the auction, we will start of accepting do- tion. We hope to have even more incredi- nation forms and photos of your gifts in ble treasures to offer this year, and you can April. Don’t miss out!

4 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 Member Profile: Betsy Blosser Gloria Miller “I’ve had the good fortune of being able to travel a lot, primarily to the Global South. I have always been attracted to the arts of Latin America and Africa. I love the colors, patterns, and textures. I am really interested in making sure that such arts survive and that fair trade is Connect to the WARP a way of enabling artisans to be paid for their work and to facilitate the preservation of these Community! arts. I also hope that artisans are able to find the same sense of satisfaction and accomplish- @weaveareal- ment in their arts that I achieve when I hide away in my sewing room.” Betsy Blosser peace_ Betsy Blosser of San Mateo, CA recent- She bought a loom 20 years ago and ly retired as professor from the Broadcast has learned from Deborah Chandler’s book Weave A Real Peace & Electronic Communication Arts De- (Learning to Weave) and her guild friends. @WeaveARealPeace partment at San Francisco State Univer- When her two boys got older she took sity where she developed a two-semester sewing classes and now makes most of her Weave A Real Peace course in which the spring semester was own clothes. In retirement she is expanding (Google Groups) spent designing and producing a video for her skills and is now knitting and sewing for a local non- profit organization while also her brand new first grandchild, Blair. weavearealpeace. learning about an- Two years ago, she travelled to the com/blog other country. In Philippines as the Textile Coordinator for June they flew to New Pathways to Enterprise, an organiza- Weave A Real Peace that country and tion that works with women in villages Post Your WARP Experiences produced a video to develop businesses that enable them - Social and textile work of to meet the needs to send their children to school. The trip members/yourself of an NGO “client”. challenged her to develop ideas for sell- - Events from WARP Students received able products they could produce with meetings invaluable learn- available materials. She became interest- - WARP’s history and ing in cultural dif- ed in abaca, fiber from the banana plant. long-time members - New members you’ve met ferences and social She was pleased when a weaver in her - Events relative to WARP’s justice as well as guild had some abaca and Betsy was able members and mission “in the field” video to acquire enough to start weaving with - Local and global textile production. Over it. She was scheduled to return to the Phil- initiatives the years the class ippines in February 2020 but the trip was produced filmsin cancelled by the onset COVID. (Tag posts with @weavear- Brazil, El Salvador, Betsy hopes to continue to work with ealpeace_ and #weaveareal- Ghana, Guatema- women in developing countries creating peace for reposting!) la, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Tanza- products that can be marketed through Be a Social Media Volunteer nia, and Thailand. fair trade and to increase her weaving Growing up in Detroit Betsy started skills to get the same satisfaction from it Interested in writing a guest sewing doll clothes with her mother’s as she does with sewing and knitting. She post for our blog? Contact remnants, wove with a pin loom, and is happy to connect with WARP members Deborah Chandler taught herself to knit and crochet. Anoth- at [email protected] weavingfutures2012@gmail. com er childhood interest that serves her well Gloria Miller, the Member Profile columnist, is fluency in Spanish. As a college soph- is a Sister of Mercy and has been working Would you like to be featured omore she studied at the University of with a knitting group in Peru for many years. on our Instagram? Contact Madrid and later taught graduate classes She became connected with WARP when she Lola Faruroti in mass communications in Uruguay and started weaving in 2006 and continues to enjoy [email protected] Chile on Fulbrights. weaving and her weaving connections all over the world. Interested in helping with the blog or Facebook? Contact Kelsey Wiskirchen [email protected]

WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 5 From WARP’s President Susan Weltman Doesn't this feel like more than a year and donations. We've also had a very suc- of the Pandemic? In our Spring Newsletter, cessful - and fun - auction with the hard New Members 2020 we were planning our Annual Meeting work of Mary Joan Ferrara-Marsland, Kelsey Michelle Akcar in Bozeman. It didn't take long to realize Wiskirchen, and Maren Beck with the par- Grand Jct, CO that wouldn't ticipation of members and non-members be possible. who would not have been able to attend Jessica Elena Aquino Remember the Annual Meeting. Brooklyn, NY when we had I will not list the additional accomplish- never heard ments in this challenging year; you'll read Kelly Bahash of Zoom? about them in the Newsletter. Kelocabay WARP I'm excited to welcome many new mem- Brooklyn, NY has done an bers to the WARP family, including several Beth Benjamin extraordi- who live within walking distance of our Claremont, CA nary job of moving on, adjusting, offering home in Brooklyn! We're looking forward to new programs in the safety of our homes. seeing you at the Annual Meeting in June - Terry Blecher Thanks to Philis Alvic and Judi Jetson we from the comfort and safety of your home. have gotten to know members from all Santa Monica, CA Susan can be reached at sweltwoman@gmail. over the world, increased our membership com Sara Braden PAMBE Ghana's Global Market Oklahoma City, OK Covid-19 and our #kaamnotdaan Campaign Judy Cobillas continued from page 2 St. Louis, MO stant communication with our custom- colours. It is woven on a drawloom (left) ers and close monitoring of the looms is which is operated by two people—the Mary-Anne Dalkowski helping us set in place a weaver and the “draw- Fergus, ON more robust production boy” who manually lifts CANADA system. the warp yarns as per On the bright side, the design harnessed Amy Davis we have been able to set through a web of knot- Seattle, WA up the five new looms ted threads. The last time Sandy De Master we had planned for this this was woven was over Egg Harbor, WI year. A couple of senior 20 years ago. With each weavers who had given new design we bring out, Janet Dittrich up weaving decades ago our tribe of like-minded St. Louis Weavers Guild have also been motivat- and discerning custom- Labadie, MO ed to re-start work and ers grows too. And, once we are providing them again the future looks Sharon Donnan with the loom parts and bright. Acadian Brown Cotton raw materials they need Los Angeles, CA Arushi has been working in to begin weaving. The the field of Indian hand- complex and beauti- looms and handicrafts for David Nungow Gabe The Paaga Loom or drawloom is operated ful designs that have nearly a decade. She set up NDOP HANDICRAFT by two people--the weaver and the “draw- emerged under their LoomKatha three years ago ASSOCIATION (NDOP CRAFT) boy” who lifts the warp threads Bamenda, North West Region skilled hands con- with the mission to revive CAMEROON stantly remind me of the importance of those crafts that are on the verge of extinc- the work we do. The Ramzani Jangla, for tion and bring them back to life through example, is a beautiful floral design that product and skill development programs. She is woven with four shuttles of different can be contacted at [email protected].

6 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 How Are You Faring? Updates from Around the World I asked to hear from groups who have been weavers throughout 2020, and 2021 looks More New Members associated with WARP in the past. The feedback little better. Cellphone contact is main- was overwhelming--from good news to the tained with most communities and weavers Barbara Goldberg Wilmette, IL tough times of this past year. LT are proving very resilient to the economic hardships. All are subsistence farmers and Indonesia - Earthquake Uddipana Goswami a good monsoon has at least meant food Lahe Lahe: A House of Slow on Sulawesi Island enough to survive. The imperative is to keep Crafts William Ingram, Threads of Life the Threads of Life organization alive until Guwahati Assam On January 17, a 6.2-magnitude such time as fieldwork can begin again. INDIA earthquake hit Indonesia's Sulawesi Support Threads of Life’s work with Constance Hall island with its epicentre near the coastal Sulawesi weavers through their online Marysville, OH city of Mamaju where over 650 people shop, (https://www.threadsoflife.com/ online-shop/) using coupon code SU- Erika Hollingdale LAWESI_APPEAL to get a 20% discount on Edinburgh Guild of Weavers, Sulawesi textiles and products. Donations Spinners and Dyers are welcomed through Threads of Life’s Edinburgh SCOTLAND non-profit arm, the Bebali Foundation (http://give2asia.org/ypbb). Paula Holman Milwaukee, WI Morocco: A Few Orders Valarie James One of six weaving groups in Batu Isa and Saleluke Artisans Beyond Borders Cheer Moroccan Artisans Tucson, AZ were injured and 15,000 were displaced. Susan Schaefer Davis Mamuju is the transit point when visit- Denise Jenkins Reaction to Covid was quick and strict: a ing the 98 women Threads of Life works Akiko Kotani with in West Sulawesi, most of whom live widespread lockdown. They still have limited Gulfport, FL 65 kilometres into the interior on barely outings and intercity travel, but friends can passable roads. At the best of times, meet outside. And the vaccine has arrived. Erika Lewis reaching the weaving communities from N'kob, the main site where I work Athens Fibercraft Guild, HGA the coast takes three days by pickup truck with weavers, is isolated in the Anti-Atlas Athens, GA along dirt roads, motorbike taxi along Mountains Sue Malvern footpaths, and on foot via mountain and has no reported cases Reading, Berks trails. Earthquake and rain induced land- UK slides have now made access impossible. of Covid. But Lalla Aicha, Contact has been made via text message Rebecca Mezoff with the son of one weaver, and he says who's on the Rebecca Mezoff Tapestry his family is unharmed. As soon as direct cover of my Studio, LLC contact is made with the weavers, and as book (Women Fort Collins, CO soon as a collapsed bridge on the only Artists of Mo- road south from Mamuju has been re- rocco), just got Laxmi Naik Surya's Garden paired, Threads of Life will be purchasing her first vaccine. In Ben Smim, the other village where I work, there have been two Kaddirampura, Karnataka more textiles. INDIA Though less dramatic, the impact cases, both recovered. However it is much from Covid on weavers across Indonesia more widespread in the cities. is similar: inter-island travel restrictions Without tourists, weaving sales are have severely limited Threads of Life’s nearly dead. (Buttons too, for those who ability to visit and buy from its partner know Amina Yabis.) However, there are continued on page 8 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 7 Morocco - Orders Cheer Artisans continued from page 7 are a few bright spots. Because of my book, markets but in many cases their tools and More New Members people have found my website and asked materials as well. It’s a rough start to what Laurie Naranch everyone hoped would be a better year. Siena College Hurricanes Eta Round Lake, NY and Iota swept across Nicara- Paula Nesoff gua, Honduras, Hull, MA and Guatemala, leaving agricul- Ann Nurre tural ruin in their San Antonio, TX about buying rugs. Since I haven't up- wakes. There are Youngmi Pak dated the site, rugs there have been sold. many organiza- Berkeley, CA But since they are such excellent weavers, tions and just women can re-make the rugs, also in differ- regular folks Christina Palafox ent sizes and even colors. That is the case doing what they San Antonio, TX for the two rugs shown. My assistant took a can to help. For Pombaaq: miles of phone video of one of them being woven, the weavers of devastation Paula Rudnick and my client was delighted - I think I have Samac, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, Heidi Scottsdale, AZ to do that in the future! McKinnon set up a GoFundMe campaign So if you're suffering from 'pandemic – google GoFundMe Heidi McKinnon. Joan Shinnick Brunswick, GA passivity', take a look at the weavers and Do a search for GoFundMe Hurricane Eta rugs on my website: www.marrakeshex- Relief and you will see many funds for all Eliza Strode press.org and click on Women Weavers three countries. I am involved with a group A Thread of Hope OnLine at the bottom of the home page of people helping in the area around Lake Guatemalan Fair Trade and go to N'kob. Maybe you'll be inspired Izabal, lowland jungle territory that suf- Brookline, MA to refresh your rug environment, and at fered major flooding. We are working there least you'll enjoy 'visiting' with artisans and because we have contacts there and be- Margaret Tayti their creations. cause it is an area less likely to get help from Loomacy and Lace anyone else. If you are interested in making Prince George, BC a donation, write to me: Deborah Chandler CANADA Guatemala - Hurricanes – [email protected]. Laverne Waddington on Top of Covid-19 Santa Cruz, CA Deborah Chandler Oaxaca Mexico - Life in After a year of shutdown, especially of Mary Woodley the tourist industry, many artisans world- Communities Disrupted Long Beach, CA wide have had to Porfirio Gutierrez find other ways to Keeping my weaving and natural Alisa Woofter survive. In Central dye traditions alive in this time of Covid Upavim Crafts America, last No- restrictions and social distancing has Fort Collins, CO vember brought been a serious challenge for me and my two whopping family. Like others in our pueblo, and like hurricanes back to so many people around the world right back that further now, we are focused on how to survive, altered the lives of and how to maintain our studio and our hundreds of thou- way of life. After traveling extensively to sands of people, Quineles Miguel’s home host workshops, exhibitions, lectures, and many of whom are sale events, I now have to pivot to reach artisans. The storms were devastating, and now those artisans have lost not only their continued on page 9

8 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 Oaxaca, Mexico - Life Disrupted continued from page 8 people through online events and website hoping to preserve my practice while I sales. Until it becomes safer for me to travel create an income for my family and our and resume gathering in person, this is my network of dye plant growers, wool sup- Thanks to WARP new reality. pliers, and my team of weavers. Having Donors! Over the last year I’ve seen studio visi- my hands busy at the loom, watching Kate Banner tors, tourism in Oaxaca, and sales in the US colors develop in the dye pots, I remain Marcia Bellas all disappear. I’ve seen firsthand how the connected to my tradition, my artistic Alice Boso Cohen legacy and my Zapotec heritage. My par- Deb Brandon ents have known real hardship and taught Margaret Carlberg me how to survive many of life’s difficul- Cael Chappell - Baskets of ties through faith and hard work. I work Africa for them as much as I do for my sons, to Judy Cobillas maintain the thread of life that connects Penny Coleman - Southern Tier us all. If you are interested in supporting Fiberarts Guild Vivian Coles my work please visit my website https:// Beth Davis porfiriogutierrez.square.site to view avail- Susan Davis able pieces for sale. Porfirio at the loom Penelope Drooker Noah Faust virus brings families to a standstill when Asylum Seekers Soon Joan Fernbach a loved one is ill. I’ve tried to remain opti- Rosalie Friend mistic and focused on the future but it all Able to Apply for Asylum Julia Friend Rosalie Friend has been a devastating blow to our family Valarie Lee James Sandy B. Gally business with real long-term impact. Our Even without politics and a pandemic, culture is one of sharing, and in the pueblo Bernice Gordon 2020 was quite a year for Artisans Beyond Peggy Greenwood - Textile that means we greet people by touching Borders (ABB), our bi-national initiative Museum DC in Tucson, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora Lucy Hansen that addresses trauma, restores grace and Bonna Harwood - Portland Handweavers Guild Elizabeth Hurtig Carol Ireland Teena Jennings Judi Jetson - Local Cloth Maren Beck & Josh Hirschstein - Above the Fray Porfirio’s rugs for sale Catherine Joslyn Cindy Lair hands, embrace our elders, shop in crowd- Mantas for sale Sara Lamb ed markets, and gather for large celebra- agency, and provides income for asylum- John Laswick tions. Social distancing isn’t normal for us seekers and their families stranded at the Kathy M'Closkey at all. Covid restrictions threaten our tradi- US-MX port of entry. Mariana Mace Ann Nurre tional lifestyle and also my studio life. As reported in the Spring 2020 WARP Denise Perry - Duluth Fiber I’m very concerned, but I will continue newsletter, from 2019 – 2020, the Tucson Handcrafters Guild to keep my work and our cultural legacy Friends of Artisans Beyond Borders vol- Sarah Saulson alive with your help. As you might know, for unteers sold the maker’s original mantas many years I have been working between Irene Schmoller - Cotton through presentations at local churches Clouds, Inc. the US and Oaxaca. I have been blessed and educational conferences. But like so Britni Serou with temporary studio space to work in many other businesses confronted by Covid, Linda Temple Ventura, at home with my wife and sons. we had to pivot. We had to figure out how Rolly Thompson This blessing has allowed me to continue to transition to internet-based sales only. Erica Tiedemann weaving and dyeing on a smaller scale, continued on page 11 Dana Tischer

WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 9 Nominating Commitee Seeks Member Input Three board positions expire this June: are looking for two members for the commit- Philis Alvic, who has served two terms (six tee from the general membership. Thanks to Panel years) and has been our able historian, former Anyone with interest in helping on the Donors! treasurer, and the originator and organizer of committee or in volunteering for a board These donations made with this year’s very successful online panel dis- position, please contact either Maren panel discussion registrations. cussions will be retiring. Terms for Mary Joan [email protected] or Beth bethbox@ Ferrara-Marsland, our current and very able hotmail.com We are particularly looking for Kate Banner treasurer, and Sara Borchert, member-at- people who might be able to take over the Sandra Baron large also expire. online panel organization, for which Philis Jane Bloom Carolyn Braaksma The board will be seeking interested mem- has created a procedural handbook, and Sheri Brautigan bers to fill these positions. Maren Beck, and Beth someone with the skill to handle the trea- Sarah Stopenhagen Davis, current and continuing board members, surer's position. Broomfield will co-chair the nominating committee. They Leslie Burns Carol Carter Suzi Click WARP Zoom Panels Colleen Connolly Philis Alvic Mary-Anne Dalkowski When the WARP Board sought other ways panel so far exceeded our expectations, that Barbara De Maria to serve members, a committee was consti- we knew we had a winning format and began Michelle DeChantal tuted of Sara Borchert, Judi Jetson, and me to organizing monthly panels through May. Mary Deming come up with something. The format was de- We were not prepared for the immedi- Shila Desai cided by what we liked and didn’t like about ate benefits to WARP in donations and new Ginny Doyle Zoom presentations. We choose to have a members. It is harder to judge success for Eileen Ekinaka panel with three speakers, where each would the presenters, but several have indicated Joan Fernbach be given 10 minutes to tell of their activities. sales and speaking engagements. Frances Fine The rest of the hour would be for questions. Rounding out this season will be more Alice Gansfield Barbara Gerlach Since we wanted this to be a member service, free panels on the third Saturday of each Jannes Gibson we chose not to charge to attend. month at 1:00 EST, with registration on the Virginia Glenn By November, we were ready for our first WARP website. A link to all past panels can Ellen Goldman trial run with Peruvian presentations. Our first also be found on the website. Toby Goldsmith Peggy Greenwood Valarie James Barbara Jeffries Interested in Networking with WARP Business Members? Tina Jollyschmidt WARP has formed a new Business Net- them and hopefully help each other stimu- Akiko Kotani working group available to all members. Par- late new ideas and solutions to challenges Breanne Mashek - Mayan ticipants include studio fiber artists, as well for moving forward in their businesses. Hands as members with businesses working with Members have indicated which subgroups Susan McCauley artisans and/or less formal sales support rela- are of interest, and they will start meeting Nancy Merritt tionships with artisan groups. The members in early March. Yonat Michaelov had their first meeting in January, and after The overall group will decide and narrow Barbara Morse brief and interesting introductions, spent the down topics they want to explore and learn rest of the meeting discussing many ideas more about. Presentations of these topics they want to delve deeper into. These in- will be scheduled on a quarterly basis. Either cluded how to market effectively using social group members with expertise in these areas media, online sales platforms, search engine who will form a panel to discuss and share optimization (SEO) of websites, content cre- their knowledge and experience, or special- ation, Google ads and more. ists will be invited to do presentations. In order to facilitate better conversation, There is still room for more people! If members are forming subgroups composed you are interested in networking with your of areas of interest or specialization such as fellow WARP business members, contact wholesalers, tour operators, retailers, film- Maren Beck at [email protected] for makers, etc. They can discuss what interests more information. 10 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 Artists Beyond Borders continued from page 9 Thanks to the generosity of people across the for young bi-lingual Cultural Arts work- US, many of whom watch our ABB presenta- ers to maintain vital cross-border connec- Thanks to More tions on Zoom, the artisans’ new Etsy shop has tions while our neighbors wait on asylum Panel Donors! proven a success, earning enough in sales to into the foreseeable future. Immigration support the embroiderers through the worst policy is evolving quickly with the new ad- Mary Alice Orito Marti Owensby of 2020 and into the winter of 2021. ministration. What we know at this point is Alison Rainford The other key ingredient to our success that asylum seekers at the Arizona-Mexico Jo Randolph border will not be first in line (that is re- in the middle of a pandemic has been team- Geri Retzlaff served for asylum-seekers from Texas and Karen Riggins California), but they will still be able to apply Barb Ross for asylum in the not too distant future. The Gail Shutiak good news is that they will be able to law- Donna Simms fully continue to work with Artisans Beyond Michelle Simon Borders in Refugee Resettlement after they Stephanie Smagala are settled in the US. In championing cul- Lorraine Spector tural arts and artisanal craft at the US-MX Georgia Stevens Bordadoras (Embroiderers) border, we will continue to uphold the dig- Eliza Strode work with our Mexican non-profit partners in nity of migrants, refugees, and asylum seek- Gertrude Thibeault community health. Together, we help care for ers in Mexico and in refugee resettlement in Dana Tischer migrants, body and soul. the US. Gayle Vallance On-going challenges for ABB remain. To contact Artisans Beyond Borders with Beth Wintroub In addition to the logistics of border work information or resources, email Valarie Lee Devik Wyman in general, senior volunteers in the US may James at https://artisansbeyondborders.org/ Anna Zinsmeister soon retire. We are actively seeking funding contact-us

Kakaw Designs continued from page 1 Two of our partner weaving groups suffered national travel and in-person activities, we are damages in their communities, in Chamelco enjoying being able to connect weavers from and Cotzal. It has been a struggle, but we around the world on Zoom, and we hope that are encouraged by the ability to support our the world will continue to engage and learn partner artisan groups in our own way with this way even post-pandemic. the online community that surrounds us. We Mari Gray is the founder of Kakaw Designs, a are also looking forward to our in-person textile small artisan made business working with 16 adventures this November with Covid safety in different artisan groups in Guatemala. www.ka- mind. No matter what the future holds for inter- kawdesigns.com / [email protected]

Publisher of Books... continued from page 12 foundly different in many cases. But the core used weaving as his symbolic flag surely values that inform their textile traditions are resonates with all of us here at Weave a fundamentally the same everywhere. Real Peace. We’ve seen it, we’ve practiced it, I was struck by his metaphor when David we’ve lived it in tangible ways. That’s what Brooks (author and columnist for the New this organization has been about from the York Times) started “Weave: The Social Fabric beginning. Project” more than a year ago. His TED talk So while I spend much more of my time has been viewed by more than four and a reading and writing and editing and pub- half million people. You can read more about lishing than I do weaving or spinning, I it at aspeninstitute.org. The thinking behind guess I see them as a whole. I’m an average it is powerful: that people coming together weaver with better than average communi- with care and open communication and cation skills. So that’s what I do. authenticity can repair our world. That he WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021 11 Weave a Real Peace 5753 Hwy 85 North #3044 Crestview, FL 32536

Annual Meeting Info + How Artisans Are Faring “Publisher of books documenting endangered textile traditions and the artisans who carry them on.” Linda Ligon Somebody [I’m looking at you, Linda Temple] asked me And then when I saw my first floor loom—wow! That was the why I chose publishing as a way to focus on and share my mother of all handmade cloth! I dove right in. interest in textiles. Because I’m a Virgo? A preponderance So why publishing? I could have just woven warp after of publishers are, if you believe in warp, spun skein after skein of yarn, and it would have been such things. Because I’m an intro- pretty satisfying. But there was this other thing, this love of vert? Most editors are, often to the books, of print communication, of how shared language can extreme. Because, to paraphrase an take us out of ourselves and into other worlds. Reading— old saw, “Those that can, do; those books, magazines, cereal box labels—had been my constant that can’t, write about it”? That companion and magic carpet ever since I was three. I was sounds about right. better with words than with threads. But instead of choos- My interest in textiles goes back ing, I put the two together. First with Interweave, starting in to early childhood, as I’m sure it 1975 (which has morphed into Long Thread Media, in which does for many of us. As a three- I’m a partner), then with Thrums Books, from 2011 to just year-old, picking the tufts out of the recently. And now with Thrumming.net, an occasional blog chenille bedspread, and wondering about textile books, the people they feature, the people who how on earth they got in there. As made them. a 16-year-old, marveling at how a sock heel turns while knit- Thrums Books has had the strongest intersection with ting one for a boyfriend (I never knitted the second one). As WARP, as both focus on indigenous weavers around the a young housewife, hemstitching and monogramming linen world. The travel it has entailed, and the human connections napkins because my mother had. There seemed no end to it has fostered, have been an education in how people ev- the processes and ingenuity to be found and pondered upon. erywhere are the same, but also how they are different. Pro- continued on page 11 12 WARP Newsletter - Spring 2021