A New School Year Begins

The new year brought in new students and new energy. We are currently working on Day of the Dead quilt squares for a fundraising quilt for Project Sanctuary and the Anderson Valley Adult School. The Day of the Dead celebration at the Little River Inn on the coast was so popular that it has become an annual event.

Pictured here are Marina working on a quilt, and Marilena holding her Day of the Dead square.

Chicago's Museum of Mexican Art

On June 28, 2008, the Museum of Mexican Art opened an exhibit called, A Declaration of Immigration. It featured several quilts by Los Hilos artists. Our participation in this exhibit was made possible by the efforts of Karen Musgrave.

The quilt shown here, The Trip With No Return by Alma Carillo, was in the show.

The End of Los Hilos???

We were notified at the end of May by Even Start that all 28 rural Even Start programs would lose their funding. We were definitely in panic mode. What to do? Molly began research, contacted funding sources, community members, etc. and was able to get part of our funding reinstated for this year only. We will continue to look for other means to fund the program, including grants, Hilos crafts projects, donations, etc.

Pinturas de fe

Pinturas de fe, the Retablo tradition in Mexico and New Mexico show from January through April, 2008 at the Hearst Art Gallery in St. Mary's College in Moraga, California had several of Los Hilos quilts hanging in the gallery shop. The quilt pictured here, Uniting of Two Nations by Marlen Gaxiola was sold from the gallery store. Way to go, Marlen!

Los Hilos gains recognition from Even Start

Molly attended the January Even Start conference where she was presented with a Certificate of Recognition for her dynamic literacy program with Latina women, part of which is the quiltart program of Los Hilos de la Vida.

Movie Premier !!!!

Our movie, Los Hilos de la Vida, had its first showing to the Boonville community that has supported us so much during our formation. The showing was at Lauren's Restaurant and everyone loved it. It made us laugh and cry as we listened to stories of border crossings and struggles in the United States.

The DVD is for sale for $15.00. Email us if you'd like a copy. The 25 minute DVD was filmed by Lee Serrie, edited by Tom Wolsky, with music by Marcos Pereda. Lee also filmed The Secrets of Salsa DVD.

Spring of 2007

*Photo Session with John Blaustein for the Irvine Foundation-A big thank you to John . He is also taking the photos for the book we are making, featuring quilts and stories of 45 Los Hilos de la Vida Artists.
*Lee Serrie and Los Hilos are still working on our Documentary film which we plan to have completed in June 2007
*Women's Cancer Resource Center, Oakland show was 11/2006 to 2/2007. We want to thank Art & Remembrance for the royal treatment at our opening, for providing money for transportation, for helping us with advertising costs and for doing a dual show with us so viewers could compare/contrast the artwork of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz (a fabric artist who depicts scenes of her childhood during the Polish Holocaust) to the works of the artists of Los Hilos de la Vida
*Rural Community Assistance Corporation Conference-Long Beach, February 26-March 1st
*A special thanks to Karen Musgrave for promoting our program from Chicago. She recently came out in March and interviewed our quilters for the Save our Stories Project, a project of the Alliance for American Quilts . Upon her return to Chicago she wrote a wonderful article about Los Hilos which will come out in the December 2007 issue of Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. AND THEN Karen called Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) and helped us get accepted for the October 2008 Show! We'll see you there!
*Breggo Cellars, Boonville until April 2007
*Scharffenberger Cellars, Philo Until April 2007
*Mendocino Hotel, Mendocino-May 3-17. opening Cinco de Mayo for info call Jaime at 937-0051 or Molly at (707)895-3277.
*Memorial Weekend Quilt Show, Guests of Honor May 25, 26, 27 363 North Main Street, FB
*La Peña Cultural Center, Berkeley June-July
*Lauren's Restaurant - Don't miss the Art Walk on the 4th of July! The show will be up until August.
*August or TBA: We also hope to have our new book printed and ready for signing during our show at Lauren's.

Hanging the show and the Marin Market

Some of the Los Hilos women went to the bay area last weekend to sell quilts at the Marin Farmer's Market. They made many new friends and sold two pieces. Many people came by the farmer's market and Eva said "Hey, welcome!" in English. She tried salty pineapple chicken legs for the first time at Whole Foods and said it was very rich.

They also went to the Women's Cancer Resource Center and the Judah L. Magnes Museum and met with the art director Margo, who was a great help. Our show is called "Stitching Their Stories" and is co-sponsored by Art & Remembrance, whose show will coincide with ours.

Women's Cancer Resource Center gallery
5741 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland
"Los Hilos de la Vida/ Threads of Life"
December 3, 2006-January 19, 2007
Opening with the Artists Sunday, December 3, 2006, 12-3pm

Judah L. Magnes Museum
2911 Russell Street, Berkeley
November 20, 2006-February 11, 2007
"Through the Eye of the Needle: Fabric Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz"
Opening Sunday, December 3, 2006, 2-5 pm


We did have a few mishaps along the way. Luzma suddenly became very ill and the van took a three hour detour to the emergency room through rush hour traffic in Berkeley. She was fine and we got home OK.

-Amy