Women Artisans of Morocco: Their Stories, Their Lives• 

• Tuesday, August 7, 12 – 1 pm •

Join us for an author talk and book signing with Susan Schaefer Davis of Women Artisans of Morocco: Their Stories, Their Lives. Susan was also the tour guide for Textile Center’s international tour to Morocco.

“Morocco is a wildly diverse land, a confluence of cultures, and home to myriad ancient craft traditions still thriving today. Women spin wool and weave rugs, they hand-knot silk buttons, embroider intricate designs passed down through generations, and sew stunning native costumes.

Women Artisans of Morocco tells the stories of twenty-five women who practice these textile traditions with an inspiring pride and fortitude. In rural Berber villages, in bustling cities, and in a remarkable desert oasis, you will meet extraordinary women who honor their cultural traditions as well as those who carve new roads in the social landscape through political office and entrepreneurship. Each is guided by her fierce determination and hope for economic stability. Joe Coca’s photography brings the women, their work, and the colorful richness of Morocco to life.”—Linda Ligon, Thrumsbooks.com

“First, the textiles: sumptuous rugs, exquisite embroideries, intricate and mysterious buttons, and custom-tailored gowns that defy every image of dress for Muslim women that most of us have ever seen. Then there are the women themselves—feisty, independent, hardworking, elderly and young, married and single, rural and urban, homebound or out running for political office. The most important contribution of Women Artisans of Morocco is its stereotype-busting presentation of Muslim women that the non-Muslim world so needs right now. A lifetime of Arabic-speaking relationships with women and men of all ages in various countries has given Susan Schaefer Davis the basis for sharing their stories as well as their world perspectives.” —Deborah Chandler, author of Traditional Weavers of Guatemala, Their Stories, Their Lives and Learning to Weave

Patrons will also be able to shop a special collection of Moroccan textiles from Cultural Cloth.

Arriving and parking:
• We are located across the street from the Prospect Park Green Line light rail stop and in proximity to a Nice Ride Station.
• Parking is available in the lot directly behind Textile Center and at 3018 University Ave SE.
• Overflow parking available in the lot at 3300 University Ave SE, just 3 blocks east of Textile Center.
• $3 parking at 2813 4th Street SE, 1 block north of Textile Center.

Susan Schaefer Davis Bio

Susan Schaefer Davis, Ph.D., has been captivated by Morocco since she was a Peace Corps Volunteer there in the 1960s. Her work and research with traditional women led her to a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan and post-doctoral work at Harvard. Susan has taught or held research positions at Haverford College, Rutgers University, the University of Pennsylvania, the College of New Jersey, and Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. She has published widely on gender in Morocco including two books, Patience and Power: Women’s Lives in a Moroccan Village and Adolescence in a Moroccan Town. In addition to consulting with several NGOs, Susan currently leads cultural and textile tours through Morocco.