Member Program: Earthwatch Ecuador
During the summers of 1988 and 1989, a team of researchers volunteered to perform fieldwork for the Earthwatch Ecuador project documenting the traditional textile practices of Indigenous Ecuadorians, as well as their styles of dress. Ann Pollard Rowe, a curator at The Textile Museum, co-led this project, which resulted in the 1998 exhibition and accompanying catalog Costume and Identity in Highland Ecuador.
The museum’s Arthur D. Jenkins Library holds the complete archives of the Earthwatch Ecuador project, including film reels, field notes and thousands of photographic slides. Learn about the archive and Indigenous Ecuadorian textiles in The Textile Museum Collection with curator Shelley Burian and librarian Tracy Meserve.
About the Library
The museum’s Arthur D. Jenkins Library is a non-circulating research library with thousands of hard-to-find resources on global textiles and traditional dress. The library also holds the personal archives of important textile scholars including Irene Emery and Charles Grant Ellis. Learn more about the library
About Shelley Burian
Shelley Burian started as the museum’s Lisa and Bernard Selz Curator in 2021. She received master’s and doctoral degrees in art history from Emory University, specializing in the art of the ancient Americas. Dr. Burian previously worked at Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum and has experience in curating, teaching and collection development.
About Tracy Meserve
Tracy Meserve is the librarian for the museum’s Arthur D. Jenkins Library. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from GW and a master's in library science from the University of Maryland. Meserve formerly served as youth services manager at the Alexandria Public Library, a librarian at D.C. Public Library and a publications assistant at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
How to Participate
This program is for museum members and will take place on Zoom. If you are already a member, please register online, and we will email you the Zoom link and instructions. Simply follow that link at the time the event starts (1 p.m. EDT / 10 a.m. PDT). If you are not currently a member, you can join or renew online.
About Member Programs
Support the museum and enjoy access to special members-only programs, including curator talks and behind-the-scenes tours. Browse upcoming programs