Stitching The Resistance

From 1973-1990, General Augusto Pinochet and his military junta ruled Chile with repressive brutality. More than 3,000 people were killed or “disappeared,” tens of thousands were jailed and tortured. Courageous Chilean women joined together in community workshops to make fabric art – “arpilleras” – that documented the disappearances of male relatives and protested the regime’s violence and human rights abuses.

Florida artist Heidi Wineland discusses the history and politics of this era and spotlights examples of these colorful artworks. They carry stories of community, heritage, loss, hope and the natural world. Human rights organizations smuggled the embroideries out of Chile to raise money for women impoverished by the loss of family breadwinners and the regime’s economic policies.

Also check out other Arts events in St. Petersburg, Workshops in St. Petersburg.