‘That’s when a flame inside me just sparked’
Traditional Chilean-style patchwork banners installed at city church call attention to human rights themes
Folk art made by women during Chile’s dictatorship were the inspiration behind banners installed Saturday outside St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church.
In Spanish, the colourful art works are called arpilleras. The Vancouver versions were inspired by a trip late last year to Chile by Ursula Andrade, a Chilean Canadian whose parents came to Canada following the U.S.-backed military coup in 1973.
Andrade was in Chile when increases to public transit fares ignited widespread protests against privatization, inequality, and the rising cost of living.
“That’s when a flame inside me just sparked,” said Andrade who was on the trip with her husband.
“We saw all this art that was everywhere, on the street, on the walls. It was so inspiring. Murals, graffiti, everybody was so active. We were protesting on the streets.”
The spark wasn’t doused when she returned home. She said she felt like she wanted to do something about the social and political issues affecting people in Vancouver.
In Chile, arpilleras were originally made by women to draw attention to missing and imprisoned men during the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.
Traditionally made on burlap (arpillera is Spanish for burlap), they were small enough to be packed in a suitcase and smuggled out of the country.
“I had the crazy idea to make them big, mural size,” Andrade said.
Andrade, who works as communications coordinator for the church, approached St. Andrew’s-Wesley with her idea. They were supportive.
Andrade worked with textile artist Kaytee Kilgour.
They workshopped the idea with members of the community who helped develop the ideas for the three panels installed on Saturday.
The themes of the panels are housing, murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls and human rights.
The local arpilleras are made from upcycled banners that once hung around the city.
They include an old banner from Expo 86 that was donated by a member of the congregation.
Rev. Rhian Walker, associate minister at the church at 1022 Nelson St., said the arpilleras are going on the blue fabric cladding covering restoration work on the church.
“So many of (the) congregation and neighbourhood have concerns about housing and missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. We thought, wow, this is the perfect thing to try out.”
More arpilleras are planned for the coming months. Sewing kits are available at St. Andrew’s-Wesley for free to anyone who wants to participate.