Arte, Mujer y Memoria: Arpilleras from Chile
ON VIEW: Nov. 24, 2019 – SEPT. 6, 2020
Arpilleras are palpable testimonies to the lived experiences of Chilean citizens throughout the brutal seventeen year Pinochet regime. Colorful textile works backed with burlap, they document the stories of women and their communities, denounce the cruelty of the government and bear witness to the human rights abuses carried out by the dictatorship.
Arpilleras were created anonymously and then sold internationally through women-centered networks established by exiles and their allies. In many cases the textiles sold for as low as $10.00 each and served as the only source of income for entire families.
This exhibition features over 30 arpilleras made by Chilean artisans between 1976 and 2019. The arpilleras in this exhibition were gathered by MEMCH-LA (Movement for the Emancipation of the Chilean Woman-Los Angeles), a local chapter of the global organization that works to amplify the voices of Chilean women.
Arte, Mujer y Memoria was curated by Gabriela Martínez, MOLAA’s Director of Education.
Credits & Sponsors
This exhibition was generously sponsored in part by Terry Hines & Associates.
Special thanks to MEMCH - Los Angeles (Movimiento Pro-Emancipación de las Mujeres de Chile) and their lenders without whose generosity this exhibition would not be possible.
MOLAA is generously supported, in part, by the Robert Gumbiner Foundation and by a grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach and the City of Long Beach.
