La Peña Chilena: Two Chilean Cultural Activities in Hartford

November 17, 2006 - Hartford, CT
Contact: Lynne Williamson at 860-278-2044 ext. 251 or lynne.williamson@icrweb.org

Gannon Long at 860-278-2044 ext. 275 or gannon.long@icrweb.org

Chilean culture will be celebrated at two community events sponsored by The Institute for Community Research (ICR) in Hartford on Saturday, December 2, 2006. La Peña Chilena, an event for all ages, will feature educator Christi Moraga demonstrating how to make arpilleras (storycloths), and dancer Marta Leal leading visitors in the traditional dance la cueca. The event will also feature Chilean food and lively music. These activities will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at ICR, 2 Hartford Square West/ 146 Wyllys St, Suite 100 in Hartford.

An evening event from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at La Paloma Sabanera Coffeehouse and Bookstore, 405 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, will feature Chilean writer and human rights activist Marjorie Agosín, whose family fled Chile in 1971. Marjorie will read selections from her poetry and discuss the arpilleras created by women to represent the disappearances of their loved ones during the military coup and reign of dictator Augusto Pinochet. She will be joined by choreographer Judy Dworin who will describe her collaboration with arpilleristas in Chile and members of the Chilean community in Connecticut to develop the innovative 2001 dance performance ¿Dónde Están?. Musician Juan Brito and his group will play songs from this important era in Chile’s history.

Both events are free and open to the public; advance registration is required. The events are part of a series accompanying Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory, a powerful exhibit of 60 textiles made by artisans from Chile, Peru, Laos, Afghanistan, South Africa, Vietnam, and Palestine. The exhibit is on display at ICR till January 13, 2007. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 5 pm; by appointment; and during special events.

ICR’s Cultural Heritage Arts Program (CHAP), which brought the exhibit to Hartford, develops programming focused on preserving and expressing cultural traditions as a way to maintain the health of communities across Connecticut. Says CHAP Director Lynne Williamson, “In working with us to put on these wonderful events, Chilean community leaders such as Juan Brito, Marta Leal, Marjorie Agosín and Christi Moraga recognize that sharing their heritage with others helps it to flourish, even in a new place.” Agosín echoes the theme of the exhibit Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory, that narrative, tradition and arts can have a healing effect on those who have suffered trauma, when she writes, “The sense of not belonging, of feeling constantly on the margins, or beyond them, was a constant in our lives, which little by little I learned to resolve through my writing.” For more information about Weavings of War: Fabrics of Memory and related events, please visit www.incommunityresearch.org/weavingsofwar.htm or contact Lynne Williamson at 860-278-2044 x251 or lynne.Williamson@icrweb.org.

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The Institute for Community Research is an independent research institute that conducts applied research and supports community enhancement programs on issues of health, education and cultural heritage. Its Connecticut Cultural Heritage Arts Program encourages and promotes traditional artists and their communities through an active process of documentation, technical assistance, and public presentations to bring their work and the history of their communities to new audiences.