"Guatemalan Traditional Dress: Diversity and Evolution" Textile Museum Associates of Southern California. In-Person program, Saturday, April 15, 10 am Pacific Time, Santa Monica, California, with Janet Seward, Collector, Photographer and Independent Scholar. Isolated villages in the rugged mountains of Guatemala have each developed their own wildly different, yet still traditional clothing. Woven on backstrap looms for over 2,500 years, the costume of each town continues to evolve, and at one time instantly signaled a person’s origin, and their economic and marital status. There are preferred colors in each village and sometimes a complete change of design between an everyday huipil (blouse) or a ceremonial one from the same place. The huipil, the most recognized piece outside of Guatemala, is a tribute to womankind’s capacity for innovation, her joy in individual creativity, her pride in her traditions and her display of admired skills as well as her wealth. Janet Seward has been photographing, studying, and collecting traje (traditional clothing) since 1986. She will present a slide lecture with her photographs, illustrating the use of traditional textiles today and showing changes that have taken place primarily over the last 60 years. There will be a “show and tell” of more than 50 pieces from her personal collection, plus more from the collection of Collector Gwen Beazell. Participants will be invited to touch, feel the texture, and examine the weave on these pieces. Registration: https://tinyurl.com/TMAfncGuatemalaNwsltr