Textiles Talk features two episodes, each 15 minutes long.
Textile Talk: The first episode is with Professor Henry Drewal who will pull us deep into the mystical world of the ceremonial ensembles and Egungun dancers of West Africa.
More Textile Talk : In the second part is an interview with author and Professor Emeritus Beverly Gordon, who guides us through the playful, colorful story of
Molas from Panama.
Watch a full 4 days of Egungun Festivities unique to AIYEDUN-EKITI, an ancient Yoruba town where the tradition dates back 4 centuries.
Textiles Talk use the textiles in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection at the University of Wisconsin, as entry points into stories that address issues of material culture and global perspectives.
The visual strength of the objects teaches lessons in global aesthetics, materials, and techniques. The stories embedded in these primary source materials demonstrate complex interactions between technology, chemistry, commerce, trade, belief systems, political structures, and details about everyday life. The intriguing stories and beautiful videography of the objects in the collection will be augmented by music appropriate to each topic and additional visual materials such as maps, photos, etc. to complete the story.