FOLK ART DEMONSTRATIONS
We regret to announce the Festival of Nations is permanently canceled.
Learn more.
Visit our Folk Art Demonstrations area, where you can interact with talented demonstrators to learn more about their craft and the cultural traditions behind it.
2019 DEMONSTRATIONS*: African Warrior Bow & Raffia Costume , Armenian Silk Work, Chinese Calligraphy, Colombian Fiber Wall Tapestries, Ecuadorian Loom Weaving, German Porcelain Painting, Ghanaian Hair Braiding, Hmong Needlework, Indian Henna and Rangoli, Indian Mural Art, Indian Traditional Painting, International Lace Making, Iraqi Caricaturist& Arabic Calligraphy, Italian Bocce Ball, Japanese Kimono, Khmer Angkorian Art, Mexican Textiles, Mongolian Yurt, Norwegian Hardanger, Ojibwe Beadwork, Ojibwe Silversmith, Polish Folk Art, Scandinavian Viking Age Crafts, Senegalese Pottery, Swiss Woodcarving, Ukrainian Egg Decorating, Vietnamese Traditional Ceremonies.
2018 Featured Folk Art Demonstrator
ANGELICA ROMERO-ACKERMAN
Colombian Fiber Wall Tapestries
Angelica was born in Villa de Leyva, Colombia. A beautiful small tourist town with cobble stone streets and is a National Monument. From a very young age she was inclined to manual labor and following the family tradition she decided to study Textile Design in Bogota, Colombia. There she learned to produce Tapestries on the Vertical Loom & earned her degree in Textile Design. After she finished her studies she returned to Villa de Leyva where she opened her store BACHUE. There she started selling many products made by hand, especially her colorful Tapestries. Each tapestry is a unique work of abstract art which reflects her creative and innovative spirit. This is where a beautiful dance of ethnic colors is performed by combining natural fibers. Gradually her Tapestries were recognized and admired all around the world. She left Colombia in 2011, is happily married with a Minnesotan and currently lives in Crystal, MN. Here she makes Tapestries and other handmade products which she sells at local Art & Craft shows around the Twin Cities.
Angelica’s Creative Process:
My Tapestries begin with a selection of materials and colors for my abstract design. These could include: Sheep Wool, Roving, Horse Hair, Sisal (fiber from the agave plant), Leather Strips, Cotton, Silk, Yarn, Natural Seeds etc. This is made on a vertical loom that is the frame for my Tapestry. I first start with Cotton cord that is tightly strung on the loom, this is called the Warp. I work from the bottom with Leather strips that are tied on one by one. Where I stop this step is part of my creative process. This is where I begin the dance of weaving with different techniques through the vertical cord, this process is called the Weft. This is all weaved by hand in an abstract design, combining the colors & materials until I am near the top. When this is done I cut the Tapestry from the loom and start making the loops from which the Tapestry is hung. After small touch ups, the Tapestry is ready to be hung up with a curtain rod or something natural like a piece of wood or bamboo. It is then ready to be put on your wall in the home or office as a beautiful work of art.
