STITCHING STORIES

Arpilleras, Spanish for burlap, are tapestries of colorful fabric scraps and stitching that tell stories. Working-class women in Chile used tapestries to tell their own stories of trauma they experienced while living under a dictatorship. The Catholic Church initiated arpillera workshops in Chile to help families whose relatives had disappeared or were killed, mostly from 1973 to 1990. Creating arpilleras brought together communities. Women also made money when their tapestries were smuggled out of Chile and sold.

Students in Professor Green's class held an arpillera workshop of their own. "My suggestion was for them to tell a story that they would want to tell," she said. Students chose stories ranging from their daily lives to historical events. The workshop challenged students to transform stories through a new medium.

DESIGN & PHOTOS

BY STEF CHIGULURI

Mysuggestionwasfor themtotellastorythat theywouldwanttotell.

—Professor Green