From the Loom of a Goddess: Reverberations of Guatemalan Maya Weaving

At the heart of Guatemalan Maya culture lies weaving, a practice symbolically linked to the creation of the world. For more than 2,000 years, Maya women have woven intricate textiles on backstrap looms, and this exhibition celebrates the reverberations of Maya weaving today in southern New England’s thriving Guatemalan-heritage community. 

The objects on view include textiles and garments made before 1917 and donated as a collection to the RISD Museum in 1982. Displayed alongside these historic pieces are new works by Providence artist Sandra Lopez Naz and videos commissioned from local artists Lucas Baisch and Michelle Lopez that show the resonance of Maya culture within contemporary conversations about activism and artistic production.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.