Basic Information

• Started By : Otto von Nostitz
• Published On : Jan 13, 2019, 8:00 AM
• Funding Ends : Closed
• Category : Fashion
• Likes : 0
• Backers : 0
• Description : March 2016 - Renewed goal to support education for young women in Ayacucho. New perks added.
  See Update # 5 for details.
  
  New campaign update - Sept 27 2014: New perks added so we can continue to raise funds to help even...  moreMarch 2016 - Renewed goal to support education for young women in Ayacucho. New perks added.
  See Update # 5 for details.
  
  New campaign update - Sept 27 2014: New perks added so we can continue to raise funds to help even more.
  
  Artists of the Loom: The Ayacucho Weavers of Peru
  is the first book to document this art form in a detailed work. These skilled artisans create beautiful tapestries based on pre-Hispanic designs interpreted with their own artistic vision. They use natural dyes with sheep's wool or native alpaca yarns and weave on hand-built looms. The finished weavings are sophisticated works of art that the weavers sign with pride.
  
  The book, in both Spanish and English, tells about the weavers, their lives, their work, their weaving techniques, and the history of textiles in Peru from ancient times until today. Color photos tell much of the story.
  
  This Indiegogo campaign is to raise funds to print extra copies of the book for the weavers and for them to sell to support their local textile museum. Other copies will be provided to schools and libraries, and any extra funds will be donated to a local micro-lending project called FINCA Peru.
  
  How it started
  I became interested in Peruvian textiles during my first visit to Cuzco and Machu Picchu in 1980. I started importing handicrafts and folkart from Peru and have returned many times since. In 1986 I visited Ayacucho for the first time and met the weavers in person. I was impressed by their artistry and their perseverance in the face of poverty and civil war. I've continued to buy and sell their weavings ever since. My import business has always been a sideline, and more of an excuse to travel to Peru than a way to make a profit, with my goal mainly to sell more of the artisans' work and give them a fair price.
  
  A couple of years ago I created a short photo booklet about Ayacucho weaving for a photography class project. Friends who had visited Ayacucho with me in 2008 encouraged me to expand it into a 'real' book, especially since nothing serious had ever been published on the topic. I spent more time in Ayacucho in September - October 2013 doing photography and interviews with the weavers; now the book is ready for publication.
  
  The text is in both English and Spanish to make it accessible to all. It contains more than 70 color photos of the weavers, their weaving techniques, and numerous examples of their tapestries. I also received permission from several museums to include images of ancient Wari and Inca textiles of the type that influence their designs. I've used lots of my own photos of everyday life in Ayacucho.
  
  The Project
  This Indigogo fundraising project is to help pay for publication of enough copies to give to the weavers and all those who helped (they could hardly afford to purchase it themselves). Additional copies will be donated to the Ayacucho Textile Museum that the weavers have created in their neighborhood, for sale along with their own weavings and other handicrafts produced locally. See the museum at : http://www.museotextilayacucho.org/
  
  Copies of the book will be also be donated to libraries and schools in the region. If fundraising is very successful, excess funds beyond the costs of publication and distribution will be donated to FINCAPeru, a non-profit organization in Ayacucho that offers a micro-lending program to indigenous women, and also provides health and education services in remote communities. http://www.fincaperu.net/index.php
  
  The text of the book has been completed, translated, and the layout is finished. Test copies have been printed and all that remains to be done is to raise the funds for publishing and shipping.
  
  Funding Goal: $3000
  Printing 120 books $2000
  Shipping costs: 600
  Indiegogo 5%: 150
  Paypal 5%: 150
  Taxes and Misc: 100
  Total: $3000
  With less money raised, fewer copies will be printed and distributed
  More money raised...more donations to FINCA
  Perks for Donors
  Everyone who donates will be helping to document and record this important traditional artform. For donations at different levels, the following premiums (gifts, or perks) will be sent to you with gratitude for your contributions:
  
  $25: Tapestry Note Cards. A set of 4 high-quality photo note cards with images of Ayacucho tapestries featured in the book. Cards are acid-free and packaged with mailing envelopes. Each 4 x 6 photographic print is hand-mounted on the embossed card. The finished card fits standard 5 x 7 mats and frames for easy display. See them on the Gallery page.
  $25: Inca Stonework Note Cards. Alternate choice is 4 photo note cards with images of impressive Inca stonework from Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and other ancient sites. See them on the Gallery page
  $50: Artists of the...    less