The Museum of Indigenous Art is also known as the textile museum. It is a must-do for anyone interested in the indigenous communities, especially those of the Sucre area. The museum particularly focuses on the woven Jalq’a and Tarabuco textiles and provides a real insight into these local cultures.
The museum consists of 9 exhibition rooms. You can also watch a weaver at work, giving a live demonstration of the ancient techniques used to create the elaborate designs. Unique, high-quality textiles and ceramics made by indigenous artisans are on sale in the museum’s shop.
One of the museum’s main targets is to reveal the existence of indigenous art by promoting ethnic textiles. The museum pays homage to those artists and artisans who continue to conserve and develop their own original culture, with roots lost in the depths of their pre-Columbian past. The exhibitions bring to light the complex creative thought, deeply rooted in the ethnic culture and meaningfully expressed in the weavings as well as their highly technical quality.
The museum is an integral part of the Indigenous Art Revival Program, initiated by ASUR in 1986. From its beginning, the program mainly aimed at reviving the traditional textiles and generate additional income for the indigenous communities of the Jalq’a and Tarabuco cultures. The program now numbers more than 800 associate female weavers as well as 200 male tapestry weavers and embroiderers.
