The Communique

Issue date: 11/12/09 Section: A&E

Susan Chrysler White, curator of "Milagro del Dia: The Daily Miracle, stands with Arbe Bareis, fine and performing arts specialist.

A reception honoring Susan Chrysler White and her exhibit, "Milagro del Dia: The Daily Miracle," was held Nov. 5 in Iowa Hall at Kirkwood Community College.

White, a University of Iowa art professor, assembled the exhibit, which contains embroidered quilts, cloth works and photos that reflect the lives of Mexican women.

White said the women of Guanajuato, a state in central Mexico, embroidered the panels that make up the quilts.

"These are actually 'living stories' about the lives of the women and their families. This isn't just a way to make money for them. It's also a creative outlet," White said.

"The communities are very poor and these embroidered pieces of cloth express their struggles and their celebrations, as well as their religious beliefs."

White started the project in 1997 while visiting her mother in Guanajuato. She witnessed the hardships the women in the rural communities had to endure and wanted to help them."Most of the men were gone, leaving the women to support their families. I just wanted to help them help themselves," she said.

The exhibit opened Oct. 12 and closed Nov. 6.

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