This exhibit is organized into pairs: a contemporary art quilt beside the traditional Mayan textile or costume that was the source of inspiration for that particular design.  

Priscilla knew she had to create this exhibit - it was simply a matter of pride!

How did the idea for this Exhibit came about?
Main ideas:

• To showcase what is being done in art quilting in Latin America
  
• To share the inter-cultural and ethnic qualities of my work with international audiences.

When I started quilting five years ago, I was aware that I was “importing” a completely foreign tradition into Guatemala where I live. So, imprinting not only my individual personality and style, but my Guatemalan identity, my roots, became of the utmost importance. I wanted to pay homage simultaneously to traditional quilting and to my Spanish heritage and Mayan-influenced culture. Using hand-woven Guatemalan textiles was a natural step in my development as a fiber artist.

"I realized there was a problem..."

When I first started to use Guatemalan textiles in my art quilts, I noticed that outside my country, everyone raved and admired my idea and the authentic ethnic materials I was using. By contrast, people in Guatemala were dismissing my work because using our native textiles seemed to them like a "been-there-done-that" kind of thing. I realized that there was a big problem with Guatemalans' perception of what is in fact one of the richest textile traditions in the world.

Our traditional textile industry is "hanging by a thread" for several reasons:

• The young indigenous population have become westernized, and don't want to wear their native costumes any more.
• As a direct result, the centuries' old techniques and traditions associated with weaving, embroidery, etc., are not being passed on from generation to generation, and are being lost at a fast pace.
  
• The non-indigenous population does not appreciate the textiles for what they are or for the cultural expression they represent.

This was a challenge I couldn't refuse, so I am committed to the revaluation and rescue of the traditional Guatemalan textile! Through this exhibit I plan to change people's perceptions. I truly believe that the more people learn about something, the more they'll be in a position to appreciate and value it. Please visit me and my exhibit in Houston!

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This is what the Guatemalan Minister of Culture had to say about this Exhibit:

"Priscilla's work relates to our culture and puts into practice what I refer to as positive inter-culturality. Through her artistic and symbolic work, Priscilla shows us that the distinct Guatemalan cultures can coexist in harmony, respecting each other's identity.

The artist's body of work is an innovative proposal in regards to the traditional Guatemalan textile, in which the textile and the multicolored Mayan costumes are incorporated into designs and objects that are foreign to that [indigenous] culture. By means of compositions, abstractions, geometric elements and creative freedom, they are used to interpret national and cultural values, color schemes, and landscapes, which is why we see motifs and titles like "Holiday in Nebaj", "Serpentines", "Multicolored Sash", "Purple Cross" and "Giant Kite".

What's most important, from my point of view, is that being a novel proposal, the artist doesn't loose the authenticity of the Mayan textile, nor damages or attacks in any way this cultural expression [the textile]. With it, the artist ratifies that creativity can be intercultural, as long as you treat the sources of inspiration with respect." Licenciada Otilia Lux de Cotí
Guatemala, May, 2002