Threads of Community/ Dunta Bulshada Iskuxirta

With last month's wildfires raging through southern California, newspapers, blogs, and websites were asking readers what they would take from their home if they had to evacuate. The answers varied from the practical (passports and wallets) to the sentimental (family photos and heirlooms) to the mildly absurd (a specific pair of pricey shoes and granola). For some, and not only Californians, this question is not just an exercise in hypothetical musings. When Somali families had to flee their homes, some were only able to take what they had on their backs. Because of this lack of supplies and instability, Somali women were for many years unable to practice traditional arts. In recent years in Minneapolis, thanks in part to The Textile Center, local Somali women are starting to practice traditional weaving techniques that for thousands of years have been passed down hand-to-hand from mothers to daughters. The results are thick, brightly colored pieces of cloth with detailed patterns that can be used to make baskets, bags, rugs, and wall hangings, items that one might think twice about leaving behind in an evacuation. Community reception 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday, November 16.
Nov. 2-Dec. 21, 2007