Goddesses. Women. Cloth: Mary Kelly To Give Keynote Address at ASWM Midwest Symposium
- Ebroidered Goddess, Norway
ASWM is excited to present its 2011 Midwest Symposium Thursday, May 19, 2011 in Madison, Wisconsin. The keynote speaker at this event is Mary B. Kelly, textile expert and artist, who will present a 7:30 p.m. lecture entitled Goddess. Women. Cloth: Inspired Ritual Textiles from Around the World. This evening lecture will feature slides and hands-on experience with the textiles.
Within folk cultures across the world, women make textiles, inspired by goddesses, and use them in rituals to honor their deities, contact spirits or protect their families and communities.
In some areas these traditions continue today. This presentation features an overview of the textiles in the context of history, rituals and religious beliefs. Kelly explores cultures worldwide: Siberia, China and the Far East, India, Central and South East Asia, Eastern, Northern and Central Europe, Greece and the Balkans, Africa and the Americas, sharing her extensive knowledge and research on local textile traditions.