Summer Abroad in Guatemala

Bridging Cultures Through Design

One-week overview: June 25—July 2, 2010 (CCA San Francisco campus)

July 6—July 19: Antigua, Guatemala

Instructor: Mimi Robinson

Description

Guatemala is home to some of the richest textile traditions in the world. This interdisciplinary studio class provides a culturally rich, immersive experience in design research, craft, and product development. Working in the capital city of Antigua, students learn from, and collaborate with, local textile artisans to develop new products, inspired by traditional techniques, with a focus on textiles, other local crafts, and design.

The studio is based in a historic Spanish hacienda (coffee plantation) surrounded by gardens where students, local artisans, and contemporary artists come together to share knowledge and skills.

The population of Guatemala is largely of indigenous origin, and centuries-old artistic traditions are practiced by many extended families and work cooperatives. The studio begins with a one-week overview to begin design preparation at CCA’s San Francisco campus in advance of the Guatamala studio intensive, followed by a two-week immersion in which students engage in hands-on workshops with master artisans from Momostenengo, famous for their rug making.

Participants explore weaving with traditional Mayan textile weavers, felt-making, and working with color and natural dyes from native plant material, including indigo and ikat. Sessions also provide an opportunity for students to generate designs for contemporary products reflective of Guatemala's culture and environment.

The course addresses sensitivity to designing within cultural contexts, issues of sustainability, market considerations, and fair-trade principles. Students meet with local experts: historians who specialize in Guatemalan iconography, anthropologists, local designers, and exporters who connect Guatemalan craftspeople to international distribution channels.

A trip to Chichicastanango, one of the most famous textile and craft markets in Central America further inspires student projects. In addition to documenting the work throughout the program, the course ends with a final exhibition in Antigua.

About the Instructor

Mimi Robinson is an international design consultant, principal of Mimi Robinson Design, and founder of Bridging Cultures Through Design, a global initiative that promotes and engages creative exchanges between students and artisan communities. Using socially responsible business practices with a respect for the natural environment, this program celebrates and preserves artistic traditions. Known for mixing a modern perspective with the use of centuries-old materials, Robinson creates her own designs for retailers and manufacturers.

As a designer and educator with extensive international experience in product design, development, export marketing, and artisan training, she has worked in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Central Asia assisting artisan groups with the design and production of innovative products for the local and export market in ceramics, textiles, and natural fibers.

In addition to a longstanding relationship as a design consultant to Aid to Artisans for the past 15 years, Robinson has developed global collaborations with artisan communities around the world to create products that use traditional skills and local materials that help build markets for their work.

Robinson is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design.

Prerequisites

Undergraduates: completion of sophomore level by summer 2010 and instructor approval.
Graduates: instructor approval.

In addition all students must be in good academic, conduct, and financial standing for the 2009–10 academic year.

Course Satisfies

For undergraduates this course satisfies a studio elective requirement or 3 credits of Diversity Studies studio; or for students who achieve junior or senior standing by the end of spring 2010, this course may count for an upper division Interdisciplinary Studies studio requirement.

For graduates this course satisfies a graduatewide elective.

Program Fee

$4,350 + $50 summer registration fee
Program fee includes:
3 units, accommodations (including breakfast), museum/field trip entrance fees, local transportation

Program fee does not include:
Airfare to and from Guatemala, lunch and dinner, travel insurance, medical or personal insurance (students must provide their own insurance)

Eligibility

This course is designed for current CCA degree students; however, students from other AICAD schools may be able to enroll on a space available basis after March 31. If you are not a CCA degree student and are interested in enrolling, please contact the Office of Special Programs at 510.594.3710.