Day 1: Manta, Manta, Manta

My first day in the prison was a moderate success. The least exciting part was trying to present my papers to the prison director who was not there today. Instead, I left my Education Plan with his secretary in exchange for a stamp that confirms the papers were received. In theory I should have my authorization papers tomorrow, but it is likely I won’t receive them by the end of the week.

Fortunately, not having paperwork had no bearing on me visiting the women! Ruraq Maki has been accepted to the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, a 3-day market dedicated to preserving and celebrating traditional crafts from around the world. We will be selling embroidered products from the prison, including tote bags, cosmetic cases, and entire mantas. Over 20,000 visitors attend the market and the event will be a wonderful opportunity to display  (and sell) the work of the women.

One of the best parts of our acceptance is that it means a big order for the women in the prison. Not only will we be working with the women in our programs, we will also be extending our order outside our programs as we will be purchasing manta from many women in the prison. Due to the size of the order, I spent most of the day talking about order logistics.

A light blue manta with 4 rows of curros and Ayacuchan style embroidery

A light blue manta with 4 rows of curros and Ayacuchan style embroidery

Most notably, I received a crash course in manta. Apparently there are more types of manta than I can count. First, you choose from two types of weave, a thicker weave and a thinner weave. Next, you choose the number of curros, woven figures, on the manta. The number can range from zero rows (simple) to 9 (the most expensive).

Next, you chose from two embroidery styles- embroidery from Ayacucho or from Huanta. Finally you select your color. Mantas come in white (traditional), black, pure black, light blue, dark blue, grey, and brown. With so many choices, the options are endless, and I spent a good chunk of time trying to arrange an order that would encompass a wide range of styles and price ranges for the fair.

In the coming week, women will sign up for which mantas they wish to produce and will have until mid-March to complete the order. Ruraq Maki pays fair trade prices for the manta, so the women will be earning more than 5 times as much for the manta as they do in their local market.

In addition to the whole mantas, we are also ordering bags and cosmetic cases, which will result in even more embroidery work. This will be the biggest order we have ever placed with the women. We are so thrilled to offer this opportunity to the women!

After working out the order logistics, I spent the rest of the day chatting with the women about the metal stamping class and the day to day activities in the prison. Tomorrow I return to do more order coordination and *fingers crossed* start the metal stamping class!

WARP Conference 2015 Recap

Weaving a Real Peace (WARP) is a network of weavers, academics, and those interested in preserving traditional textiles with a mission to "foster a global network of enthusiasts who value the importance of textiles to grassroots economies".

Weaving a Real Peace (WARP) is a network of weavers, academics, and those interested in preserving traditional textiles with a mission to “foster a global network of enthusiasts who value the importance of textiles to grassroots economies”. Many members are involved in small projects in artisan communities, and like Ruraq Maki, are working to preserve traditional textiles while also creating fair paying economic opportunities for artisans.

On May 30th, I attended and presented at WARP’s Annual Meeting and Conference on the importance of intentional product design and development in the field of fair trade. The talk focused on low cost yet effective ways small scale organizations can build a design strategy into their products. I discussed various tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way in my journey with Ruraq Maki.

Attending the conference was a truly inspirational! There are so many people working to support artisans, preserve cultural traditions, and maintain environmental integrity in a multitude of ways. Some of the highlights of the day included: 

  • Rebecca Burgess from Fibershed spent a year wearing clothing and accessories entirely sourced from within 150 miles of the Bay Area. Her presentation included beautiful photos of the makers of her clothing, from farmers to fashion designs, all of which utilized local fibers, dyes, and labor.
  • Rocio Mena Gutierrez worked with Mayan weavers in Guatemala in a natural dyes project. Through the project, this small group of weavers strengthened their dyeing skills to achieve consistent natural dye baths and created yarn kits to sell to weavers in the U.S. The project was so successful that the women made more money from selling the kits in a few months than they earn in a year!
  • Maren Beck and Josh Hirschstein from Above the Frey  work with traditional hill tribe weavers from Laos and Vietnam. The presentation included a fascinating history of Laos along with the challenges many traditional artisans are facing.
  • Deborah Chandler and Teresa Condon discussing their new book Traditional Weavers of Guatemala, a stunning book that shares the life stories of traditional Maya weavers and includes portraits of artisans working in the ancient traditions. Chandler discussed several photos from the book and shared the stories behind the photos and artisans. Truly a treasure!

The conference concluded with a dinner and silent and live auction which helps support WARP’s operating costs throughout the year. It was wonderful to meet such a dedicated group of people and Ruraq Maki is thrilled to be a member of WARP. We look forward to attending again next year.