Art of the Border; Love, beauty and grace found in the shadow of a U.S. Border Patrol Checkpoint.”

Heirlooms in the Sand

Spools of thread, each with a lone needle, hand sewn clothing and drawings in pencil depicting home and family…these are some of the items migrants are forced to leave behind in the desert. Over time, we have found over 35 hand embroidered “bordado” cloths with inscriptions such as “Yo e Tu Rec. Felicida de Ma Ma” You and I remember the happiness of our Mother, “Pienso En ti” I think of you and “Somos Dos Enamorados” We are two people in love. Some of the cloths are of heirloom quality with relleno crewel work, others are everyday tortilla wraps. All are edged with lacy “tejido de gancho” crochet. We wash the cloths and display them with care to honor the nameless women who made them.

9 Up Poster

 

The Heirlooms in the Sand Collection includes Greeting Cards and 11 x 17 prints that depict 12 different cloths. Look for Heirlooms in the Sand Collection Cards and Prints in local Museum Shops and bookstores or request them from your favorite retailer.

Proceeds benefit family based micro-enterprises on the U.S. Mexico border.

“The American Folk Art Museum has shown that it is functional folk art through the years, much of created by immigrants, that best tells the story of our country. This homespun art recovered from our deserts illustrates in the most personal manner, the story of our times."

the artist