ARTESANIAS DE COLOMBIA

Between 1994 and 1996, did research on traditional methods in Colombian indigenous textile handcraft and taught numerous workshops on dyeing and coloring to indigenous communities in the Colombian Andes, specifically, in the provinces of Cauca and Nariño. The average duration of each seminar was between one and two weeks, and the number of participants varied between 15 and 50. The objective of the program is twofold: (1) To promote the use of traditional methods and techniques in indigenous communities, both as a way to foster cultural preservation and to help to improve the standard of living of the communities. (2) To study the conciliation of traditional design with the contemporary market demands in order to optimize the economic return to the artisan.

Artesanías de Colombia is the Colombian national institute for preservation and promotion of traditional and indigenous handcraft and is a branch of the Ministry of Economic Development.