Our talented artists
Corazon de Mujer The group’s members are indigenous women who suffered from the armed conflict in Guatemala during the 1980’s, but joined to form a weaving group in Chimaltenango, Guatemala in 1991. Approximately 20 members weave traditional textiles on the back strap and foot looms, generating income to support their families. They create our beautiful Corazon Striped, Vibrant Guatemala Series, and Corazon Casual Scarves and our cotton single-color shawls. Some of their members are widows and weaving is their only source of income, as they have never had the opportunity to study and are illiterate. As an organized group of women, they are able to solicit training and are learning new skills. Voz de Tz’utujil
The Tz’utujil are Mayan people living in the town of San Juan, on Lake Atitlan. "Voz" means voice. There are 15 women members in their group. Many are raising children on their own. Some of them are widows because their husbands died during the war; others lost husbands to sickness; some of them have been abandoned by their husbands after they brought their children into the world- an all too common story here. Their natural cotton scarves are tinted using natural dyes from the plants, herbs, flowers and trees that grow around Lake Atitlan. Association of Mayan Women
The Association of Mayan Women is located in Solola, Guatemala, overlooking Lake Atitlan. Their specialty is Chenille scarves and handbags made from both cotton and bamboo. They use natural dyes to create their rich color spectrum. Matenwa, Haiti
On the tiny island of Lagonav, Haiti, their families are struggling to survive as the fertile soil that once produced an abundance of food now washes into the sea with each rain. Children believe rocks grow since every year they see more and more and the adults explain, “The mountains are showing their bones.” The images on their silk scarves are created to reflect their everyday lives and stories from their childhood. Being able to produce income for their families, has given the women a strong and respected voice in their community. The Elderly Bead Center
The bead-making workshop/store and elderly center are housed in the same building and are located in Santiago, the largest municipality on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Proceeds from the bead shop's jewelry sales are used to feed 65 impoverished elderly three meals a week. Many of the elderly are homeless. The majority of them are women, and many are also widows from Guatemala's civil war. The center also provides the elderly with an annual Christmas party and other social activities throughout the year. It is a place where the elderly can feel safe, eat a nourishing meal, and receive a little dignity and social time. The jewelry makers are women displaced from Panabaj, a town of 1,400 people that was washed away by a mudslide during Hurricane Stan. |
