L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano T h e I t a l i a n A m e r i c a n M u s e u m o f L o s A n g e l e s h a s o f f i c i a l l y opened a new exhibition, Woven Lives: Exploring W o m e n ' s N e e d l e w o r k f r o m t h e I t a l i a n D i a - spora, which examines the significance of needlework in the lives of Italian-Ame- rican women, their families, and communities from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. The exhibition, which is o p e n t o t h e p u b l i c f r o m January 29 to October 16, 2022, reconsiders the role of needlework beyond its aesthetic value and utilita- rian purposes, recognizing i t a s a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y medium for expressing and preserving culture. Woven Lives showcases a variety of handmade textiles created b y I t a l i a n - A m e r i c a n women. " W o m e n ' s v o i c e s h a v e often been excluded from historical narratives," tells us Marianna Gatto, exe- cutive director of the Italian American Museum of Los A n g e l e s . " W o v e n L i v e s explores untold stories of women using items made b y t h e i r o w n h a n d s a n d p r o v i d e s a l o n g - o v e r d u e a c k n o w l e d g m e n t f o r t h e role they played in preser- ving traditions, supporting their families, and creating communities." Mrs. Gatto, how did the idea for this exhibi- tion come along? The idea for this exhibi- tion can be traced back to 2019. One of our intern's projects that summer was cataloging items part of the IAMLA collection, including textiles (linens, needlework, a n d o t h e r h a n d m a d e items). There was a piece that caught the attention of us all, an intricately embroi- dered corredo (dowry) bed sheet that read "buon ripo- s o . " I t w a s m a d e b y a woman named Giuseppina F i c o , w h o w a s b o r n n e a r N a p l e s i n 1 9 1 5 . Giuseppina's mother died during the Influenza pande- m i c w h e n s h e w a s o n l y three years old. Her father w a s a s h a r e c r o p p e r w h o b a r e l y e a r n e d e n o u g h t o feed the family, and by age six, Giuseppina was already working in the fields while apprenticing in needlework. G i u s e p p i n a m a r r i e d a n d moved to the United States after World War II and one o f t h e i t e m s s h e b r o u g h t w i t h h e r w a s t h e " b u o n riposo" bed sheet that she had made at age ten. "One day we should do an exhibi- tion of these linens, an exhi- bit that examines the story behind each piece and the women who made them," I remarked. We liked the idea and added it to the list of possible future exhibitions. Not long after, we became aware of a book edited by folklorist Joseph Sciorra, the Director of Academic and Cultural Programs at C a l a n d r a I n s t i t u t e , a n d Edvige Giunta, a Sicilian- American writer, educator, a n d l i t e r a r y c r i t i c , t i t l e d E m b r o i d e r e d S t o r i e s : I n t e r p r e t i n g W o m e n ' s Domestic Needlework from the Italian Diaspora. We had worked with Joseph in t h e p a s t a n d s h a r e d t h e exhibition idea with him. H e g r a c i o u s l y a g r e e d t o serve as the advisor on a grant proposal we were wri- t i n g t o C a l i f o r n i a H u m a n i t i e s t o f u n d t h e exhibition. Months passed and we were enthralled to l e a r n t h a t C a l i f o r n i a H u m a n i t i e s s e l e c t e d o u r p r o p o s a l . T h e I A M L A i s s u e d a c a l l f o r i t e m s , sewn, crocheted, knitted, a n d o t h e r t y p e s o f n e e d - lework that had interesting s t o r i e s b e h i n d t h e m . W e also began to identify items i n o u r c o l l e c t i o n . T h e n came the pandemic. Let's just say life and museum w o r k c h a n g e d o v e r n i g h t . We canceled, rescheduled, and modified dozens of pro- grams and exhibitions amid the uncertainty and public h e a l t h c r i s i s . W h e n t h e I A M L A r e o p e n e d t o t h e public in June, we decided that Woven Lives would be the first exhibition we pre- s e n t e d s i n c e M a r c h o f 2020. T h e n a m e o f t h i s e x h i b i t i o n i s v e r y profound: Woven Lives. What's the meaning of it? There are many interpre- tations of the title. Weaving often serves as a metaphor for understanding our place a s h u m a n b e i n g s i n t h e world. Despite the often fra- gile nature of the parts from which needlework is con- s t r u c t e d , b y w e a v i n g o r interlacing those parts, a s o l i d , m o r e s t u d y , a n d o f t e n , m o r e a e s t h e t i c a l l y pleasing item is produced. W h i l e I t a l i a n - A m e r i c a n women were often relegated to the margins of history or essentialized into a handful of roles--wife, mother, cook, etc., their lives and their experiences, like weaving a n d n e e d l e w o r k , w e r e multi-layered, intertwined, complex. W h y w a s a n e x h i b i - tion about needlework Handmade filet work on display (Photo: Sam Fagan/IAMLA) Italian-American women's lives told through needlework SILVIA GIUDICI LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY Continued to page 32

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