ATA invites you to join our special gathering this November in Chicago. Come behind-the-scenes at Chicago’s Field Museum and enjoy private access to select Andean textiles, followed by curator-led presentations of the Art Institute of Chicago’s exhibition On Loss and Absence: Textiles of Mourning and Survival.
The Field Museum’s collection began in 1894, housing artifacts from the World’s Columbian Exposition. Our morning begins with a behind-the-scenes viewing of selected Peruvian and Bolivian textiles and related objects from the Exposition as well as from Marshall Field’s archaeological expedition to Peru in 1926. Some examples include a weaver’s work basket including spindles, whorls, cloth, and yarns, a small cross-knit looped bird from the Nazca valley, and a finely woven Incan tunic.
Our hosts are two of the Field’s staff—Christopher Philipp, a collection manager of the anthropology South American collection, and Luis Muro, research scientist and archeologist specializing in northern (Moche) architecture and ceramics. Art historian Nancy Feldman will also join us. The producer and co-director of the documentary “Shipibo: Movie of our Memories,” Nancy has worked on the Field’s Shipibo/Amazonian collection.
In the afternoon, we will explore the rich cultural role of textiles at the Art Institute’s exhibit On Loss and Absence: Textiles of Mourning and Survival. Over 100 objects from diverse cultures dating from antiquity to today to reveal the ways people use textiles to sustain spiritual beliefs, understand death, cope with grief, remember those who have passed, and heal from trauma, both personally and collectively. Curators Anne Wilson, an artist and professor emeritus in fiber and material studies, and Isaac Facio, an associate conservator in Conservation and Science, will lead us through this exhibition.
Of special note, the final of four exhibit themes “Resistance and Survival” showcases textiles as acts of defiance and cultural endurance. In this section, the works of contemporary artists, including the Noqanchis* collective (see image at right) of Andean weavers and Diné (Navajo) weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas, provide insight into the enduring legacies of Indigenous textile arts of the Americas.
*The Noqanchis is a Peruvian art collective founded by Alipio Melo, Danitza Willka and María José Murillo. Rooted in the essence of Andean weaving, their purpose is to intertwine their worldviews and experiences as contemporary textile artists.
Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago, Nathan Keay photographer
Registration $195
Space is limited to 20 people. Registration is required by Nov 1. A detailed itinerary inclusive of hotel and transportation recommendations will be sent to all registrants.
The registration fee of $195 includes our behind-the-scenes at the Field Museum, our curatorial-led presentation at the AIC, and a tax-exempt donation to Andean Textile Arts. The fee does not include transportation, parking, AIC entrance fee, hotel or meal expenses.
Left: Incan Tunic, accession year 1926 during the Marshall Field archaeological expedition to Peru; catalog number: 171377.nosub[1]
Want a behind-the-scenes look at Andean textile culture? Our triannual newsletter is your source for insider information.