An Appreciation of Montagnard Backstrap Weaving

2400 Summit Avenue,Greensboro NC 27405

02 June, 2021

Description

An artistic, historical and technical appreciation of traditional weaving practiced by the indigenous people of Vietnam's Central Highlands We will zoom and facebook live this event from the CAN-NC Campus, with limited seating for guests to see and examine samples while we continue to observe Covid safety protocols. This program will give an overview of how Montagnard weaving fits within the Southeast Asian tradition of textile arts; show some of the different styles and designs of textiles that are representative of the local Montagnard tribes in Greensboro; explore the origin of design motifs within the Montaganrd tradition; and wrap up with a discussion of the legacy of Montagnard weaving for todays Montagnard artists. What traditions will be kept, what traditions could be lost? We draw on the expertise of an outsider who has worked with the Montagnard community and its weavers and has studied the history of backstrap weaving. Betsy’s collection was increased when Sister Gretchen entrusted her with several pieces given to her from weavers but that she could not take with her into retirement when she left North Carolina. In 2016, she worked with the NC Arts Council’s Folklife Office to ensure that Ju Nie and Ngach Rahlan received the governor’s Heritage Awards for North Carolina artists. In this presentation we will look at examples from the five tribes and invite questions and comments, and hear what happened and how the staff reacted when she brought several examples of Montagnard weaving into Washington DC’s outstanding Textile Museum. Betsy Renfrew, MFA, has had multiple careers as a studio artist, instructor and department head of art, ESOL teacher, researcher and documentarian. She has worked closely with the Montagnard community for over ten years.