Ancient Peruvian Textiles Workshop
Dates: January 11-21, 2009
Location: Lima, Peru

Museum Textile Services is now taking applications for the 2009 Ancient Peruvian Textiles Workshop. The theme of the 2009 workshop is "cotton." We will document, conserve and mount pre-Columbian cotton textiles from the collection of the Huaca Malena Museum. Prior to the start of classes we will make a three-day excursion to Northern Peru to visit the archaeological sites of Sipan, Sican and Tucume. At Tucume we will have a hands-on lesson in cotton spinning and weaving.

This course is geared toward museum professionals and others with museum sensibilities and excellent hand skills who want to learn about textile conservation and pre-Columbian cultures while visiting Peru. Past students have included conservators from all disciplines, archaeologists, weavers, historians, and textile aficionados ranging in age from college students to retirees. To see photos from past years please visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/patina_green/sets/.

The course cost is $1000 per person. This includes up to eleven nights of double-occupancy accommodation, ground transportation, tuition, and guides. This fee does not including airfares, return transportation to the airport after the course, lunches, or dinners.

Please email Camille Myers Breeze at mtsworkshops@gmail.com for an application form or for more information.

Peru 2008

Seven North Americans and seven Peruvians participated in the 2008 workshop. The North Americans began with an excursion to see the Shipibo Indians of Coronel Portillo in the Peruvian central Amazon. We had a private weaving and spinning demonstration and spent a night in the village. During our twelve hours on the Ucayali river we were treated to glimpses of river dolphins, sloth, and countless exotic birds. See photos at http://flickr.com/photos/patina_green/sets/72157603848219445/.

When we returned to Lima the full group began an intensive week of conservation at our donated work space at the Museo de Sitio Huallamarca. We stabilized and mounted twelve textiles from Huaca Malena and Huallamarca. At the same time we prepared a new exhibition for the Huaca Malena Museum featuring more than forty textiles, mummies and mummified heads conserved by us over the last five years. Please take a virtual tour of the exhibit at Exhibitions.

"I think the gift you bring to Peru with this workshop is undervalued. It is a wonderful experience and gives the participants an opportunity to give where there is a real need."
- Peggy Whitehead, student 2005 & 2008

"You present a wonderful program that improves each year - you deserve recognition and praise for your classes, enthusiasm and ability to organize daunting tasks that all of us feel proud to be a part of."
- Cynthia Little, student 2005 & 2006