ACRE is pleased to announce the relaunch of ACRE Projects at Drama Club, opening June 11 with Entre el maiz, lose chiles, y las flores, featuring new work from 2019 resident Lorena Cruz Santiago.

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Archaeologists recently found a complete woven basket from the Neolithic era in a desert cave. This rare Neolithic basket survived by being buried in three feet of soil and because of the high temperatures and dry conditions of the area. Traditionally made of natural fibers that decay over time, baskets like these and their patterns have more commonly survived through the passing of that knowledge from elders’ hands to younger weavers. Mixtec basket weavers in Oaxaca, Mexico prepare their weaving materials through a series of careful cuts made into palm fronds which leave them with thin strands used to create baskets. Within the last couple of decades, vibrantly dyed plastic “palm” has become popular within these weaving communities. The plastic grants a permanence to the patterns of these baskets.

This project comes from my long-standing effort to learn about my parents’ Mixtec culture; this time through their gardening practices. I turn to the garden as a source of ancestral knowledge — a knowledge that provides nourishment in many forms. Gardens reflect self-sustainability, and the indisputable connection indigenous people have to land. These works reflect the knowledge my parents have shared from their homeland San Juan Mixtepec in Oaxaca, Mexico. I offer them as a reflection and record of my on-going process of learning this ancestral knowledge.

Bibliography

Cusi, Erica. Indigenous Media in Mexico: Culture, Community, and the State. Duke University Press Books, 2013.

Estrin, Daniel. “Archaeologists Discover Additional Dead Sea Scroll Fragments In Desert Caves.” NPR, 16 Mar. 2021.

Le Guin, Ursula K. The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction. 1986.

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With the safety and comfort of our guests in mind we ask that visitors wear a mask and practice social distancing when visiting ACRE Projects, regardless of vaccination status. While we will not require an advanced appointment for the opening reception, an ACRE staff person will be present to monitor the occupancy of the space. We will continue to update and change our policies in accordance with state and local mandates. Appointments to view the exhibition after the opening can be made by contacting exhibitions@acreresidency.org

ACRE Projects Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Drama Club building, there is a single step up to access the gallery. Bathrooms are accessible via a staircase on the lower level of the building. ACRE is working to secure a ramp for the front entrance and an accessible bathroom in a neighboring business. Your accessibility coordinator for the opening event is Exhibitions Director Danny Floyd who can be reached at exhbitions@acreresidency.org.

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Tags: ACRE, ACRE Projects at Drama Club, Chicago, drama club, Entre el maiz lose chiles y las flores, Lorena Cruz Santiago, Lower West Side