There is always something exciting happening in the Museum of International Folk Art!
October 2021 Newsletter
"Tutto il Mondo è Paese – The Whole World is Hometown" This Italian proverb was a guiding principle for Alexander and Susan Girard's collecting of folk art.
From the Director,
With fall in full swing, we hope you will come up to Museum Hill to see what’s new at MOIFA. If you haven’t yet seen it, there’s a great exhibition of folk art glass in our Lloyd’s Treasure Chest gallery, that is timed to coincide with the exhibition, Clearly Indigenous, now on view across the plaza at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. October brings our largest public event, the celebration of El Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead. We will celebrate all day on Sunday October 31. Come check out our community ofrenda. Museum staff are now busily getting ready for our next exhibition opening, for Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia, planned to open to the public on December 12. And last but not least, please subscribe and follow MOIFA on Facebook and Instagram, for the latest MOIFA news and events.
Khristaan Villela
Executive Director
Museum of International Folk Art
THE SPOTLIGHT
Taking MOIFA to new heights and empowering our team, Michelle Rodriguez and Rachel Cover recently joined our staff as Admissions Cashier and Registrar.
From left, Michelle Rodriguez, Khristaan Villela and Rachel Cover.
EVENTS HAPPENING NOW!
ARCHIVES MONTH ZOOM LECTURE
From the Southwest to the Southern Cone: A Century of Collecting at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection
Daniel Arbino, Ph.D. OCTOBER 7, 2021
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM MST
In celebration of Archives Month, the Museum of International Folk Art invites you to join us on October 7 for an online presentation by Daniel Arbino, Ph.D., Head of Collection Development at the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Arbino will discuss the foundational collections and guiding principles of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collectionat the University of Texas at Austin, now in its centennial year. As the Benson Collection moves into its second century, it models a path forward for archives and special collections everywhere through its continuing work to develop inclusive archives, strong community relationships, and highly visible and accessible research collections.
Image Credit (above right): Relación de Cempoala [detail]. Relaciones Geográficas of Mexico and Guatemala, Benson Latin American Collection, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, The University of Texas at Austin.
DAY OF THE DEAD COMMUNITY CELEBRATION OCTOBER 31, 2021
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM MST
FREE Admission for All! Celebrate the Day of the Dead and make sugar skulls, eat traditional Day of Dead treats (pan de muerto), and view the Day of the Dead ofrendas (altars).
We received newly made clothes from Sámi artist Susanne Andersdatter Bæhr for our upcoming exhibit Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia (opening December 12, 2021). ClickHEREto catch a first glimpse.
This is the first video in our #unboxingMOIFA series, following a new artwork from its arrival at the museum to its appearance on exhibit. Stay tuned for more in the series by following us on FacebookandInstagramor subscribing to our YouTubechannel!
Enchanted with MOIFA's Girard Wing with its 10,000 pieces of vibrantly colored and fantastically arranged folk art from dozens of countries? Here's an opportunity to tour — virtually — Alexander Girard's last massive art installation from the comfort of your home or hotel. Join us Tuesdays at 11:00 AM, Mountain Time. The "five-stop" tour lasts about 45 minutes. Register yourself now for any of these dates:
Dress helps us fashion identity, history, community, and place. Dress has been harnessed as a metaphor for both progress and stability, the exotic and the utopian, oppression and freedom, belonging and resistance. Dressing with Purpose examines three Scandinavian dress traditions—Swedish folkdräkt, Norwegian bunad, and Sámi gákti—and traces their development during two centuries of social and political change across northern Europe.
HANDS-ON STUDIO
SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
Our school partnership with El Camino Real Academy School (ECRA) has begun with a special project. Students in 4th-6th grade have been learning about the origins and traditions of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). In response to learning about this celebration, students are working on creating nichos (display boxes) and tin designs inspired by Mexican folk art.
During our annual Day of the Dead event, we always have a unique ofrenda (altar) on view, and this year, the students' artwork will be showcased in a special ofrenda. Their artwork will honor the continuance of life as well as paying tribute to loved ones.
The ECRA school partnership was recently awarded a $5,000.00 grant from Bank of America!
We hope you can join us to celebrate this ancient and vivid cultural celebration and enjoy our community ofrenda. The Day of the Dead Community Celebration is a free event and will take place on October 31, from 1-4 PM. ¡Acompáñanos!
Photo Description: Students creating their nichos, Amber Paz-Csibi's 6th grade art class at ECRA.
FRIENDS OF FOLK ART
JOIN FRIENDS OF FOLK ART
Whether your interest is in celebrating the Day of the Dead festivities of Mexico, learning the history of cochineal-red, or gaining introduction to the global diversity of the world’s folk artists, membership in the Friends of Folk Art (FOFA) is an inspiring immersion into international folk art and culture that benefits our museum.
FOFA comprises an especially creative, close-knit group of members whose exclusive social and educational events promise popular and profound experiences that highlight and build upon museum exhibitions and collections. The group’s colorful annual calendar includes folk art collectors’ home tours; hands-on workshops and engagement with international and local folk artists; and lectures by experts who delve deeper into the diversity of world folk art.
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