Gallery talk on Maya Textiles from the Guatemalan Highlands

In November and December, the Stillwater Public Library Gallery is hosting Maya Textiles from the Guatemalan Highlands, a show of clothing, textiles, and photography from the collection of Richard Eric Nelson.
 
Since 1975, Nelson, a Minnesota photographer, has traveled to Guatemala, where he became fascinated by the indigenous Maya culture. Maya weaving was practiced long before the arrival of the Spanish. Weaving tools found in graves show that the looms used by ancient peoples are the same design as that used today – the back-strap loom. The majority of women and some of the men of this culture still wear hand-woven traditional dress, the intricate patterns of the fabric identifying their village.  Maya weaving, however, is not immune to change. Each weaver adds her own artistry and experience to her work.  

Richard Nelson will give a gallery talk about the exhibit, his collection, and Maya weaving on Saturday, December 4, from 2 to 5 p.m.