The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center (EVFAC) recognized the need to promote this art form, but also the need to capture the stories of many colcha embroidery artists who are entering their eighth and even ninth decade. In the documentary, Colcha Circle: A Stitch in Northern New Mexico Culture, Julia R. Gomez summarizes passionately that colcha embroidery “is a tribute to the women who came up the Camino Real that brought a little bit of beauty with the only thing they had, which were the Churro sheep… and a needle”.
The documentary was produced during an annual educational event, the Churro Week, and captured a candid discussion among 11 colcha embroidery artists about what brought them to this art form, how it makes them feel, and what inspires them. This documentary is entertaining, filled with opinions coming straight from the artists, and illustrated with inspiring designs and exquisite craftsmanship.
Throughout 2019, the documentary was shown regionally alongside colcha embroidery workshops, demonstrations, and show-and-tell community events at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts in Santa Fe, National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, Hacienda de los Martinez in Taos, Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces, and Fort Garland Museum in Fort Garland Colorado.
The documentary video, Colcha Circle: A Stitch in Northern New Mexico Culture, was produced by a team from the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center and is slightly over 37 minutes long. It can be viewed on various websites and by clicking this link: vimeo.com/292758833
