By Maya Chipana Lazzaro (Quechua, CS Staff)
On the kind of cold winter day that Boston is known for, Ruben Flores (Nahua) walks out of Logan Airport wearing a straw hat and carrying a small, black suitcase. He is bringing his art, culture, and stories to the Cultural Survival Winter Bazaar to represent his Nahuatl culture in the middle of the busy Prudential Center, a commercial shopping mall located downtown. Flores is an artist who creates jewelry and framed art pieces using feathers from birds native to central Mexico. He travels alone with just his single black suitcase, where he can fit all his feather art pieces. When he sets up his table the day after he arrives, he is between Hutsul artist Ganna Nepyivoda, a traditional egg painter from Ukraine, and Yopopotli, another Nahuatl artisan from Mexico who creates art from dyed straw. He is in front of Everest Wings, a vendor that sells statues, beads, and adornments from Nepal. Close by is Afra Kashmir, an artist from India who sells silk and Kashmir scarfs, and Hebron Glass, a vendor representing artists from the West Bank in Palestine.
Ruben Flores
At the Cultural Survival Bazaars, more than 40 different cultures, Indigenous Nations, and communities are represented. Artists come together to share their cultural heritage and sell their traditional arts in the hopes of generating some income for their families back home. Many of these artists and artisans still practice their traditional ways of life, agriculture, and artistic traditions and techniques that have been carried forth for many generations.
Timoteo Ccarita
Timoteo Ccarita and Benita Ccanita are Quechua artisans and master weavers from Cusco, Peru. The couple practices traditional weaving with alpaca wool to make warm clothing and tapestries. Their technique and designs predate the Inca era and depict ancient symbols and stories. Serzhan Bashirov is a three-time UNESCO-recognized artisan from the Kazakh-Naiman Tribe in Kazakhstan. He creates his metal jewelry and adornments using ancient techniques of his People and is one of the last remaining artisans practicing this kind of ancient metalworking technique.
Serzhan Bashirov's work
Along with their art and items to sell, each vendor at the Cultural Survival Bazaar brings a story with deep meaning about their products. Inquire about any given piece at their booth, and they will share a story about how it was created, the land the materials originate from, what the items mean to them and their culture, or how to use it. In an era of globalization where social media influencers dictate the trends we follow and fast fashion has taken over the market; where having an excess of possessions are considered indications of wealth and success, Cultural Survival Bazaars offer unique, Indigenous handmade items of which the sale benefits a whole community.
Everest Wings
For four days this past December, Indigenous artists once again took over the Prudential Center and transformed it into a vibrant, sensory-filled global marketplace of Indigenous artisans and their unique creations. The halls were adorned with hand-embroidered, colorful fabrics and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. The atmosphere was alive with the sights and sounds of Indigenous cultures, creating a stark contrast to the usual muted ambiance of a shopping mall. One could hear singing and dancing by the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers and learn about the issues Indigenous people are facing around the world through art.
Yopopotli
We invite you to attend our next Cultural Survival Bazaar, which will be held from July 25 to July 27, 2025, in Tiverton, Rhode Island. There, you can meet and learn about the Indigenous people who travel from all corners of the world to share their cultures and traditions with our community.
